You can go home again
by Chuk49
Summary: This is an AU story branching off in season 4 when Leonard is with Priya. Is a Lenny
1. Chapter 1

**A/N These characters belong to Chuck and Bill. I'm just borrowing them for a while**

Penny's stubbornness paid off big time when after driving around the mall parking lot for fifteen minutes, a parking place opened up directly across from the main entrance. Deftly pulling her pickup into the spot, she turned off the engine and disembarked. Even though it was only two weeks before Christmas and there was still quite a bit of snow on the ground, the temperature was in the high forties and she was getting by with just a jacket.

She crossed the roadway to the entrance. Once inside, she pulled out her list and located a display of a map of the Mall. Although she knew exactly what she was looking for, it had been a long time since she had visited the Mall and she wanted to be sure the stores were located where she remembered.

Locating her first stop, she headed for it; gratified that the crowds were reasonably light for this close to Christmas. Entering the store, she was heading for the department she wanted when her eye was caught by a surprising display. To her astonishment, there was a supply of Komfy Kelly dolls. They were the hot item for this Christmas season but she had despaired of ever finding one. Unfortunately, as she rushed to the area, she saw another reason she had not strongly sought finding the doll; the price. It would cost three times as much as the gift she had budgeted to buy. Worse, it would leave her with less than half the money she had set aside for her other four gifts.

Convincing herself she just could not afford to purchase it, she headed for her original destination. But then she had an image of Sara opening the package and the look of joy on her face. _Aw, to hell with it,_ she thought and before she could change her mind, grabbed one of the dolls and went to the checkout line. She felt good about what she had done until she got outside the store and looked at the money she had left. She resigned herself to the fact she was just going to have to settle for much less impressive gifts than she intended for the others, thinking ruefully they had not been all that impressive in the first place.

But then she realized she could not cut back on the gift for Jeremy. After all, Christmas is for kids; right? She quickly went to the next store on her list and purchased her original planned gift. With a sense of dismay, she looked at her remaining funds for her last three gifts. Oh, well, they were adults and would understand, especially when they saw what she had gotten for Sara. She did decide that they deserved to have some thought given to their gifts, however inexpensive, and headed for the Discount Store.

After salving her conscience somewhat by taking over an hour to pick out what she considered actually respectable gifts under the circumstances, she looked at her watch and was surprised at the time. She knew she should go get something to eat and head for work. But, since she wasn't sure when she would be back at the Mall, she was not going to leave without engaging in one of her favorite pastimes, trying on expensive shoes. The fact that she had no possible means of buying any did not dissuade her. If a man waited on her, maybe she could make up for the time he was wasting on her by flirting with him. As far as eating, she had some granola bars in a drawer at work. So, without any further discussion with herself, she headed for the shoe store on the fifth level.

Sometime later she started down the escalator to the fourth floor. She had thoroughly enjoyed herself, although leaving without any of the wonderful shoes she tried on was heartbreaking. As it turned out, the clerk had been kind of cute and she felt she made his time worthwhile.

As she continued down to the main floor, stepping off the escalator onto the third floor, she saw him, not more than twenty feet away looking at one of the Mall Maps. She stood there stunned as if an apparition had suddenly appeared. It seemed surreal. She had convinced herself that see would likely never see him again. She stared like a deer in the headlights wondering if she should get away before he saw her. But then fate decided things for her as he chose that moment to turn. She saw his eyes focus, then widen in amazement, before he got a huge smile on his face and moved toward her. "Penny?"

He reached her and gave her a hug which she reciprocated as much as possible with her bags in her hands. She managed to get out, "Hey, Leonard."

He stepped back and looked at her, "It's so good to see you; you're as beautiful as ever."

She blushed slightly and looked more closely at him. He still looked about the same, the hair maybe a little longer and more curled, but he still had his same glasses. The usual hoodie was replaced with a more fashionable brown leather jacket. He had on some worn blue jeans and his signature sneakers.

Still a little stunned, she went on to say, "What are you doing in Omaha?"

"A couple of guys that were on one of the expeditions with me asked me to come down and look at a project I might be interested in. It really didn't sound like something that would interest me but when they said it was in Omaha, I decided to tempt fate and come down." He smiled, "We always kind of thought this is where you were. We thought of coming down several times; but decided if you wanted to see us, you would have contacted us."

He continued, "I was wondering if I should check on your Dad while I was here but had convinced myself would probably be better not to."

Suddenly, Penny remembered what time it was. She quickly interrupted and said, "I'm sorry Leonard, but I have to go. I'm going to be late for work."

As she turned to leave, he called out, "Here, take my card and give me a call tonight or tomorrow. I would really like to have lunch or something and talk."

She turned back and surprised herself by saying, "Why don't you come out to the farm tomorrow. I am sure Dad would like to see you. Do you have something to write on?"

Taking out his phone, he entered the address and directions she gave him. She then took his card and saying she really had to go, headed for the elevator.

He called after her, "What time should I come?"

"About ten-thirty in the morning."

Racing down the last two escalators, treating them like stairs, she rushed out through the Mall doors; her mind running a mile a minute. Why had she done that? Why did she invite him to the farm? Then she realized that from the moment she saw him she took it as a sign that the time had come. It was time to let them know what happened five years before. She also realized she wanted to know what had happened to them, how their lives had gone, how Leonard's life had gone. About Priya… As she opened the passenger door of her truck and threw the bags inside, she realized she hadn't noticed if he wore a wedding ring or not. Slamming the door and going around to the driver's seat, she looked at her watch and surmised a lot was going to have to go right if she was going to make it to work on time.

Apparently, there were three miracles on this day. First finding the Komfy Kelly doll, then seeing Leonard, then she hit every single light and the traffic was eerily light so she pulled into the Employee's section of the parking lot of "A Gentleman's Club _"_ in plenty of time.

 **A/N I just want to state I know nothing of Omaha. If they have a "Gentleman's Club" it is just a coincidence (I didn't see one on Google)**

 **I also want to say, I am not an expert at any of the occupations that occur and thus apologize if I step on any stereotypes.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N still not mine.**

As Penny finished locking up her truck and started for the stage door, she realized she didn't want to leave her packages in the truck all night. Unlocking the door, she got the bags, relocked the truck, and walked across the parking lot. Entering through the stage door, she was met by Mike Hayward the security guard. Mike was an ex-Marine and looked every bit the part. He was over six feet tall, well built, with a ruggedly handsome face. All the girls adored him, but not near as much as he adored his wife and two daughters.

"Good evening, Penny; was starting to wonder if you were going to make it."

"Hey, Mike, yeah I cut it a little close."

As she started to walk past him, he asked, "Do you mind if I check those bags?"

"Oh, no, sorry, just some Christmas presents; didn't want to leave them in the truck."

Mike, looking into the bags, "If you want, you can leave them in the Security Office; it's always locked when I'm not around."

"That would be great, sure won't be a bother?"

Taking the bags, "Not at all, I'll just set them on these shelves, you can pick them up on the way out."

"Thanks, Mike, I really appreciate it."

She continued down the short hallway and entered the room the girls called the Cattle Call. It contained a series of eight stations consisting of large desk type furniture with a well-lighted mirror on each and a large closet beside them. Currently only four of the stations had occupants.

Just to her left was Mary Crowly, a twenty-eight year old widow with two young children. Her husband had been killed in Afghanistan. If the truth be told, Mary normally would not have been hired. She has a rather plain face and had to fight to keep her weight up; her breasts were also kind of small. But when a friend of Doug's had told him her story and that she needed a job, Doug had given her a try. She wore a military type costume and was called "The Lonely Lieutenant." When she was introduced it was mentioned about her husband. She consistently got the biggest applause and tips and none of the girls begrudged her them one bit.

Then Penny saw that Doreen's spot was empty and that she apparently hadn't arrived yet. She was already in Doug's doghouse and if she was late again, it might be the last straw.

Looking up to the station to her left, she got a wave and smile from Mama, which she returned. Goergina Brown was a legend among the girls. She had been stripping for over twenty-five years all over the world. Even though she was over fifty, she was still gorgeous. A black woman with large breasts and curves perfectly proportioned over her six-foot frame. Everyone called her Mama because she was always there when you needed her. She thought of herself as their protector.

Shifting her eyes to the furthest desk on her right, she had quick eye contact with Juanita. Juanita Juarez was the mystery/bad girl of the group. The stories were that she had been a prostitute on the streets of New York, killed her pimp, and spent time in prison. One of the girls had approached her once to ask about it and was told in no uncertain terms to back off. Now they left her alone. She did her job and bothered no one. She was a pretty Latina with a slim figure and a beautiful tattoo of a dragon that covered her entire back.

As Penny reached her table, she took her purse and put it in one of the drawers. Just then, she heard a commotion behind her and turned to see Doreen come through the door; flushed and breathing hard as if she had run all the way from the parking lot. Doreen Mason was the youngest of the girls, only twenty-two years old. If you looked up Bimbo in the dictionary, you should see her picture. She was blond, big breasted, and dumb as a tree. Penny was about to comment on her being late when she saw the welt on her cheek. _That bastard,_ she thought to herself.

Just then Mama came up to Doreen. "Dammit Doreen, you know what Mr. Cummings will do if you're late again." Then she noticed the welt. Softening her voice, "Oh Baby, did that SOB hit you again?"

Doreen looked up at her, "It wasn't like that Mama, it was my fault, I just kept bothering him."

Mama's voice sharpened, "Listen Girl, you've got to get away from that man, someday he's really going to hurt you."

"No, Mama, he loves me, you should see how apologetic he is."

Mama shook her head, "Well, get over here and let's see if we can get that mark covered before Mr. Cummings sees it."

As Penny sat down, she was greeted by the woman in the station to her left. "About time you got here. Please tell me you were held up by a man. Well, actually held down by a man."

Penny had known Cherie Hudson since she was in Middle School. They had both been on the cheerleading squad in High School. Both were sure they were on their way to fame. While Penny had gone to California, Cherie had gone to New York. She had given up about a year before Penny returned. It was Cherie who had told her about the stripping job and introduced her to Doug. If Doreen was in the dictionary for Bimbo, Cherie was there for Cute. From her pixie haircut, past her upturned nose to her "perky" breasts, to her gorgeous legs, she was adorable.

"It was not a man; I was Christmas shopping, if you need to know."

"If you went to the Mall, you're late because you were trying on shoes!"

Penny giggled and looked at her, "You know me too well."

Penny took off her jacket and hung it in the closet. She then stripped to her panties, hanging her clothes up as well. She sat down in front of her mirror and began to work on her makeup and hair.

A few minutes later, she heard the door that connected to the offices open and looked up to see Doug Cummings come through the door on the other side of Mama's station.

Doug Cummings was the owner of "A Gentlemen's Club." He had set out to create a high-class strip club and had for all general purposes succeeded. He had two basic rules. One, no one ever touched the girls. Second, he would abide no hint of soliciting by any of the girls either in the club or away from it. He had managed for the most part to have a professional clientele; Lawyers, businessmen and even some public officials.

He was a good boss and paid well. The no touch rule applied to him and his employees as well. He even gave the girls a percentage of what was paid for drinks when they were at a table with the customers and from their lap dances, as well as letting them keep their tips.

As usual, he stopped and talked to Mama first as she hurried to move away from Doreen. Although she had no official title, Doug always worked with her as though she was in charge of the girls.

"Hello, Mama, how's it look today? Looks like everybody's here."

"Everything is fine, Mr. Cummings."

Cherie had told Penny that when Mama first came to work there, Doug had told her to call him Doug like everyone else did. But Mama informed him she felt more comfortable with Mr. Cummings. She believed if you respected your employer, you should not use his first name.

Doug moved by Mama and spoke to Doreen. "Glad to see you're here on time, Doreen." Then he stopped and leaned in to look closer at her. She tried to turn her head, but he grabbed her chin and turned her cheek toward him.

"This has got to stop Doreen, I know you won't listen to me and get away from that bum, but you tell him for me that if you come to work marked in any way anymore, I'm going to let you go. Maybe that will slow him down. He would hate to lose his meal ticket."

Doreen started to say something, but Doug just raised his hand and shook his head. He turned back to Mama, "Could you help her cover it up?"

He moved down to where Mary was and his demeanor changed to a friendly smile.

"How are you tonight, Mary, hope your Mom and the kids are good."

Mary smiled at him, "Everything is good, Doug, thanks for asking."

He looked down at her body, she was in panties as were most of the girls.

"You are looking good, seems like the diet stuff is working."

Blushing slightly, Mary answered, "Yes, it is, Doug; and I want to thank you for setting me up with those people. I have really felt better about everything."

Doug smiled warmly at her and then made his way diagonally to stand by Juanita.

"Good evening, Juanita."

She looked up at him and said, "Doug."

He moved down the line and approached Penny and Cherie, "How are my cheerleaders tonight?"

Both answered, "Fine, Doug."

He smiled at Cherie and asked, "Well, how many boyfriends are you dangling this week?"

Cherie had always been a party girl and usually dated at least two men at the same time.

"Well, you may not believe it Doug, but I am now a one-man woman. It's been just me and Dave for over a month."

Looking surprised, "Well that's great, he must be quite a guy."

"Yeah, I'm surprised myself."

Turning to Penny, "Hi Penny, hope Sara and your family are doing good."

"Yeah, they're fine Doug, Thanks"

It was strange, Penny would spend a part of the night naked except for a G-string in front of a crowd of leering men and women, but she still felt self-conscious when Doug or any of the other male employees saw her naked away from the stage. Maybe it was because he did look her over; I mean he was a good boss and a good guy but he was still a man.

He stepped back and raised his voice. "Okay girls, looks like we're going to have a big night for a Wednesday." Looking at his watch, "Lineup in twelve minutes. Break a leg."

As he went through the door to the stage, Penny smirked and turned to Cherie, "Break a leg? What does he think this is, Broadway?"

Cherie smiled, stood up and shook her breasts; "We're in Show Business, Baby."

Penny chuckled and shook her head. She then finished up and got ready for lineup. She changed her panties to a thong and put on a sheer negligee that really covered nothing but did tie it at her waist so it physically covered her breasts. Then she put on shoes with stiletto heels and stood by the door to the stage. The lineup had all six girls on the stage, walking around once and then standing for a time. She actually had three sets of clothes she would wear. The sheer negligee for the lineup, her costume to remove for her strip, and the outfit that still showed a lot of skin but was a little less revealing when she flirted with the customers at the tables. For her act she was a Cowgirl complete with hat. She was called Randi Rancher.

As the stage manager stuck his head through the door and said, "Two minutes," Mama took her place in the front, smiled and said, "Okay girls, big smiles and strut your stuff!"

The door opened and they moved out onto the stage, smiling and swaying their hips.

It was almost three o'clock when Penny and Cherie left the Cattle Call. They had done a double lap dance just before closing and took a quick shower when they were done. As they headed down the hall, Cherie spoke up, "What did you find for Sara for Christmas?"

Penny got animated, "Oh my God, I forgot to tell you; I found a Komfy Kelly doll."

"How the hell did you do that? I thought they would all be gone by now."

"Yeah, crazy right, I couldn't believe it when I saw it."

"Aren't they kind of expensive though?"

"You are not wrong. It blew my Christmas budget all to hell. But when I thought of the look on Sara's face, I couldn't resist. I also got Jeremy what I originally planned so the gifts for the rest turned out pretty pitiful."

"Oh well, they'll understand."

"That's what I thought."

They arrived at the security office, but Mike was still out escorting the last of the other girls to their vehicles. The rule was that no girl could go to her vehicle at night without Mike along.

While they were waiting, Penny wondered if she should tell Cherie about Leonard. Cherie was the only one outside of her family who knew the details of her life in California.

While she hesitated, the decision was taken from her as Mike arrived back. "Ready to go?"

Penny answered, "We're ready, could you get my packages?"

Mike took a key from the ring on his belt, opened the door and handed her the packages.

After he locked back up, they exited to the parking lot. They first arrived at Cherie's red Mustang. After exchanging goodnights, she drove off squealing her tires.

Mike shook his head a little and escorted Penny to her pickup. As she unlocked her door, Mike said, "Goodnight Penny, drive carefully, see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Mike, you get out of here and go home to your family."

Mike than stood and watched until the engine started and Penny drove away.

Although it normally took about an hour and a half to drive to the farm, late at night Penny usually made it in about an hour. It was a little after four when she parked her truck in the yard, got her packages, and headed for the house. After hanging her jacket in the entryway, she passed through the kitchen and living room and ascended the stairs to her room. She put the packages on the top shelf of her closet and deciding she was too tired to do anything, she stripped to her panties and put on a flannel nightgown that covered her to her ankles. After all, it got cold at night and she had no one to keep her warm or anyone she needed to entice. Sighing, she slipped into bed and then realized she should change the time on her alarm clock from the usual 9:00. She changed it to 7:30 to have some time before Leonard arrived. Afraid she might not be able to sleep, she found she was exhausted and in no time was sound asleep.

 **A/N Thank you so much for your reviews.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Still don't own anything.**

Penny woke up to the noise of her alarm clock. Groggily raising her head, she hit the snooze button and saw the luminous dial read 7:30. _What the hell, who changed the time on my clock_? Then the events of the previous day came back and she sighed and laid back on the pillow, wondering if she could stay in bed a little longer. Regretfully deciding she couldn't, she turned off the alarm and got herself out of bed.

Going to the bathroom, she did her morning absolutions, including a warm shower. She then put her shoulder length hair into a pony tail and got dressed. She put on clean underwear, a flannel shirt, a pair of faded blue jeans, some warm socks, and her work boots. Checking herself out in the full-length mirror on the closet door, she ruefully thought that it was not what would be called an alluring outfit. But turning her back to the mirror and looking over her shoulder, she did decide her legs and ass looked good in those jeans.

Leaving her room, she went down the stairs, crossed the living room and pushed the swinging door to enter the kitchen. Her mother was at the sink with her back to her, probably finishing the breakfast dishes. Sara was at the kitchen table, eating cereal and reading a book. At the sound of the door, her mother looked over her shoulder, her eyes widening a little. Sara looked up from her book and smiled brightly.

"Hi, Mommy."

Penny answered, "Good morning Sweetie," as she leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Sara turned to her grandmother, "I told you I heard an alarm clock, Grandma."

Still looking over her shoulder, Susan answered, "Yes, you did." Addressing Penny, "What are you doing up so early?"

Holding up a hand, Penny just said, "Coffee?"

Smirking, Susan pointed over to the coffee pot, "Should be some left from breakfast."

Penny hurried over and poured herself a cup. After taking a big sip, she sighed and decided she was now officially up for the day. As she took another sip, she saw her mother was still looking expectantly at her.

"I am up because I have a big surprise."

Sara immediately spoke up excitedly, "Are we getting a new pony?"

Realizing she probably should have prefaced her announcement, she turned toward Sara and said, "No, sorry Sara, this isn't a present surprise, this is a grown-up surprise."

"Oh, okay," Sara said disappointedly and returned to her cereal.

Seeing her mother still waiting, Penny continued, "I'm going to wait until everyone can hear it at the same time. By the way, where is everybody?"

Turning back to her dishes, Susan answered, "They're all out in the shed working on that stupid tractor."

"What's wrong with that thing now?"

"I don't know, it was working fine when your dad plowed some snow earlier in the week. But when he went out today just to start it up and run it for a bit, he couldn't get it to start; so, he had Bridget go out and help him. Of course, Jeremy had to tag along." Frowning, she continued, "I really hope it is nothing serious. We can't afford to pay much to get it fixed, let alone buy a new one. It will be tough to shovel snow and prepare the garden in the spring by hand."

Penny reflected that the Truck Garden was a vital part of the farm. Not only was it a source of food, it provided them an addition to Penny's income.

"Do you want me to help with the dishes? I can dry them and put them away."

"No, I'm about done and am just going to leave them out to dry. But since you're up, why don't you and Sara tend to the horses now and by the time you get back, maybe everyone will be ready to hear your surprise."

"That sounds good," turning to Sara, "How about it, are you ready to work with the horses?"

Sara immediately jumped up and headed for the back door, but Penny's voice stopped her.

"Sara Ann Prentis! You know better than that. Finish your cereal, give your bowl to Grandma to wash, and put that book away."

Sara bowed her head and skulked back to her seat. With Penny trying to hide a smile, she wolfed down what was left of her cereal, drinking the last out of the bowl, getting a milk ring around her mouth. She ran the dish to her grandma and tried to head back for the book. But Susan stopped her and used a towel to wipe Sara's face as she squirmed. When released, she raced back to the table and took the book into the living room. She then quickly returned.

Penny knew she should probably see where the book ended up but took pity on Sara and headed for the door with her.

Susan called out to them, "Be sure and put on something warm, the wind picked up this morning."

In the entryway Penny helped Sara put her snow boots on, put on her warm coat, mittens, and stocking cap. Then she put on her own warm coat, earmuffs, and gloves as they headed out.

As they passed the shed, they could hear voices inside. Deciding not to interrupt them, they continued across the yard and past the barn to the stable. As they approached the door Penny mused that the horses were a luxury they really couldn't afford, but they always had horses and had Dallas before the problems started. Then just before Sara's last birthday, they had acquired the pony Daisy from a neighbor for practically nothing. Sara had loved her from day one and Daisy brought her a great deal of joy. They weren't able to provide much in material things for Sara and there was no way they were not keeping the horses no matter what the cost.

As they entered the stable, both horses perked up and greeted them with a neigh. While Penny went to Dallas and rubbed her nose and gave her a carrot, Sara did the same for Daisy. Then they led the horses out of their stalls while Penny and Sara cleaned them, putting down new straw.

Penny looked at her watch and realized they would have to do a limited workout today due to the need to get back before Leonard arrived. Sara pouted a little but grudgingly agreed. They saddled the horses and rode down the path. Even with the limited time, Sara was able to have a good ride. When they got back, they unsaddled the horses, brushed and combed them, and replenished their water and feed.

When they got back to the house, got everything off, and entered the kitchen; they saw everyone was sitting around the kitchen table. Penny went to stand by the counter, while Sara sat down next to Jeremy.

Wyatt spoke first, "How are the horses? No problems up there, I hope."

Penny answered, "No, they're good. We did do a limited workout though because I wanted to get back, so whoever goes up there next should remember that."

Wyatt, indicating a large thermos on the counter, "Mom made some hot chocolate, if you're interested."

Penny, turning toward the thermos, "Sounds good," looking back at Sara, "Do you want any, Sara?"

"Yes, thank you Mommy."

Penny filled two glasses, placed one in front of Sara, sat down next to her and took a sip.

"Well Dad, how did it go with the tractor?"

"The problem is in the starter and I thought we were going to need to somehow replace a part when Bridget thought of a way to work around it. Of course, you now have to go through a series of manual steps to get it started; but we got it working. If we ever have any extra money, we need to replace that part."

Taking a sip of his chocolate, Wyatt continued, "Well, were all waiting, what's the big surprise? It better be a good one because I don't need any bad news for a while."

Penny took another sip, "Oh, it's definitely good news. You'll never guess what old friend I ran into at the Mall yesterday."

Everyone looked kind of blankly at her, but then Penny saw Wyatt's eyes widen and a smile started to form on his face, "You don't mean…"

Penny, with a big smile, "Yeah, Dad, it was Leonard."

Susan smiled along with Wyatt while Bridget looked puzzled, but then she said, "You mean that super smart guy you dated for a while in California?"

Penny, still smiling, "Yep, Doctor Leonard Hofstadter."

Susan spoke up, "What is he doing in Omaha? Was he looking for you?"

"No, he evidently was contacted by a couple guys he once worked with that wanted him to come down and look at a project they thought he might be interested in. Although he did say one reason he took them up on it was because he wanted to 'Tempt Fate'."

Wyatt sat back in his chair, "Guess fate answered. What's he been doing? Is he still with that Indian woman, what's her name?"

"Priya, I didn't get a chance to talk with him, I was already late getting to work. He gave me his card to call him and then I invited him to the farm."

Wyatt sat back up, "He's coming out here? When?"

Penny looked up at the kitchen clock, "In about a half hour."

Susan stood up, a horrified look on her face, "A half hour! Why didn't you warn me earlier? The house is a mess."

Penny tried to placate her, "Everything is okay, Leonard won't mind," but she could see it was already too late. Susan had gone into what Sheldon would call a zone.

"Penny, you make the beds and pick up your and Bridget's bedrooms. Sara, Jeremy, go pick up your room. Bridget, wash and dry these glasses and put all the dishes away; then wipe down everything. Wyatt, pick up the living room and check out our bedroom; then come down and watch for him. I'll take care of the bathrooms."

In a minute, everyone but Bridget was gone.

Twenty-two minutes later everyone was back in the kitchen. Susan had left the zone but was clearly not happy with Penny waiting until the last minute. For her part, Penny was actually glad she had waited because she hated to think what her Mother would have made them do if they had time.

Just then, Penny had an idea. "Sara, when we see Leonard coming, I want you to go into the living room and wait until I call for you. Sort of like a surprise."

Then Jeremy spoke up, "I want to be a surprise too."

Penny looked at Bridget, who just shrugged.

"Okay, you can be a surprise too. You guys just be quiet in there."

Sara asked, "Do we yell surprise when we come in?"

"No, that won't be necessary, just be ready when I call."

Suddenly Wyatt announced, "There's a car coming, it must be him."

As everyone tried to look out the window, Penny smiled and said, "Yeah, it must be Leonard as slow as he's driving. Of course, I suppose it's been a long time since he drove on snow."

As the kids left the kitchen, she turned back and watched a conservative what she assumed to be a rental car pull into the yard. It stopped for a moment and then parked next to the pickup. She saw Leonard emerge with a brown bag she assumed to be a bottle of wine. She smiled and realized it had been some time since she had drunk any of what she presumed was her favorite.

She saw him hesitate and look at the house probably wondering whether he should use the back door or go around to the front.

Wyatt spoke up, "I'll go get him."

Penny watched out the window and saw Wyatt go out into the yard. Leonard saw him and got a big smile on his face and went forward to meet him. They shook hands as Wyatt put his left hand on Leonard's shoulder. Then they turned and walked back toward the house. Bridget and Susan had returned to their seats but Penny stayed by the counter. As they entered the kitchen, Penny noted that Leonard wore a blue shirt with a collar, rather than one of his T-shirts. He still had his blue jeans and sneakers.

Wyatt spoke up, "Everyone, this is Leonard," as he motioned toward Bridget, "This is Penny's sister Bridget." Bridget gave him a slight wave and Leonard said, "Glad to meet you."

Turning toward Susan, Wyatt continued, "And this is my wife Susan." She immediately rose and gave Leonard a hug, saying, "It's so good to finally meet you." Stepping back, she said, "Welcome to our home."

Leonard smiled, "Thank you, it's nice to meet you too."

Then smirking, Wyatt continued, "I think you know Penny."

Leonard turned and gave her the smile he seemed to reserve for her. "Hi, Penny, this is for you," as he handed her the brown bag.

"Hey, Leonard, thank you," she said as she took the package. They stood that way, looking at each other until Wyatt broke in, "Here Leonard have a seat."

Leonard sat down, but Penny moved around the table and stood by the swinging door.

"Leonard, there a couple other people I would like you to meet." She then called back, "You guys can come in now."

Jeremy and Sara came smiling through the door; but when Jeremy saw Leonard, he moved over to Bridget and stood slightly behind her, peeking around her. Penny positioned Sara in front of her and put her hands on Sara's shoulders. Penny noticed that Leonard's eyes had widened a little when he saw the kids but were back to normal.

Penny continued, "The shy one is Jeremy, Bridget's son. Jeremy, this is Leonard, an old friend of mine." With a little coaxing from Bridget, Jeremy managed a weak, "Hi."

Leonard smiled and said, "Hi, Jeremy."

Then Penny took a small breath and went on, "And Leonard, this is my daughter Sara. Sara, this is Leonard."

Some emotion passed over Leonard's face but too quickly to recognize. He smiled and bowed down toward her, "Hi Sara, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Sara giggled a little and answered, "Nice to meet you too. Do you know my Daddy?"

In the awkward silence that followed, Penny saw Leonard look up to her. She then realized he didn't know if he did or not. She gave him a quick negative shake of her head and Leonard turned back to Sara, "No Sara, I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't."

Sara looked down a minute, then said, "That's okay."

Susan then broke in, "Okay, that's enough for introductions, think we all have things we need to do. Penny, why don't you take Leonard on a tour of the farm? You guys probably have some catching up to do."

Sara spoke up, "Can I go too, I want to show Leonard our horses."

Penny smiled to herself as she saw a small hint of trepidation on Leonard's face. "Not now Sara, I want to talk with Leonard; but I promise I won't show him the horses without you along."

"Okay Mommy, come on Jeremy, let's go finish our game."

Penny led Leonard into the entryway. As Leonard put his coat on, she said, "I guess that will work, we won't be outside long, but your ears and hands are going to get cold. Here, put these on," handing him a stocking cap and a pair of gloves. She then got bundled up again and they went out the door.

"Well, Mom calling this a tour was a slight exaggeration. There's really not much to show. The three buildings you see are the shed, barn, and chicken coop. That large area over there is the truck garden. About the only thing you can't see from here is the stable and I promised Sara she could go along to show you that."

She could see the question Leonard wanted to ask, that's it? Or maybe he assumed some of the fields around were theirs. She would save that part until she told the whole story. They had reached the barn and went in. Out of the wind, it was much more comfortable. Penny walked over to a bench and turned on a space heater that was near it. She could see Leonard looking around the empty barn. She sat down and motioned for him to sit down beside her. As the area warmed up, she took off her earmuffs and gloves and saw him follow suit.

Sighing, she turned to him, I guess we have a lot to talk about."

"Penny, if you want, I can just talk about what has happened to us since you left; you don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

"Did you tell the others you found me?"

"No, I was going to, but thought I would wait until we talked."

"Leonard, I do want to talk. When I saw you and invited you here, I knew it was time. But I would like to get my thoughts together, so could you go first?"

"All right…"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Still own nothing – just borrowing for fun. To BFM - I had forgotten that they mentioned Penny's nephew. Luckily, this is AU so Jeremy is not that guy. He is younger.**

Leonard worked to get himself comfortable, took a deep breath, and began.

"Howard proposed to Bernadette a couple months after you left. They were bummed that you weren't there because you were the one that introduced them."

Penny felt a moment of sadness and a little guilt, but pushed it away; realizing she would probably have similar feelings several times.

"Bernadette finished up her studies and then got her doctorate. She went to work for a big Pharmaceutical firm and as she put it, is making a butt load of money."

"Good for her." But then Penny had to smirk, "So Howard is really the only one not to have a doctorate. But I am sure you're nice enough not to point that out."

Leonard faked an angelic smile, "Of course, but he was about to have his moment."

"They had planned to have a normal wedding, but then Howard's space flight was moved forward so he would be leaving for Russia before their planned wedding day."

Penny stared and blurted out, "Howard went to space, Howard Wolowitz?"

Leonard smiled, "Yeah, they were going to launch a satellite that he worked on and they wanted him there on the Space Station."

Still a little stunned, Penny continued, "So he was an Astronaut!"

"Yep, Howard Wolowitz, Astronaut, who would have figured? To be honest he didn't really have the Right Stuff but he had enough stuff to go, do his job, and return. We were really proud of him."

"Then Bernadette decided she wanted to be married before Howard left and we all went down to the Courthouse to get them married, but there were too many couples waiting and they wouldn't have been able to be married until Howard left. Then Raj suggested they get married on the Sunday Howard was due to leave because the Google Satellite would be over Pasadena and could photograph the wedding. He also remembered that someone told him anyone could be ordained online. So, all four of us got ordained and performed the ceremony on the roof of our apartment."

Penny remembered she had been the one to tell Raj that; but she just said, "That sounds awesome."

He smiled and continued, "They have talked about kids, but still don't have any."

"I bet Mrs. Wolowitz isn't too happy, I'm sure she wants grandkids."

Leonard face clouded and he said, "Mrs. Wolowitz died about two years ago."

Penny, sadly, "Oh no, that must have been devastating for Howard."

"Yeah, I don't know how he would have coped if he didn't have Bernadette. He was still pretty depressed for a long time."

Hesitating for a moment to give Penny some time, he went on, "About six months after Howard and Bernadette got married, Raj got news from home that his father was ill. Being the oldest male in the family, he returned to India. After his father died, he stayed with his mother and eventually married an Indian woman. They have twin boys. He has talked about returning permanently to the States, but he has an important job in their science program and his wife is against it. He has come back on a few occasions and I visited them during one of my breaks."

Penny wanted to ask him about that, but decided she could wait for his story. She was glad that Raj had finally found someone, but was sad he was no longer with the group.

Leonard had gone on, "Amy finally persevered as Sheldon came to realize how much he loved her. They were married about three years ago. As soon as the honeymoon was over, Amy quickly informed everyone that the marriage had indeed been consummated!"

Penny's eyes widened and she put her hand to her mouth, "Crap on a Cracker, out little boy grew up and had sex!"

Leonard chuckled and said, "I'm pretty sure he had it on at least one more occasion, because they have the cutest two-year old boy named Isaac Leonard Cooper."

Penny excitedly, "Amy must be in seventh heaven. Wait a minute, they named him after you?"

Leonard just beamed, "I was so surprised and honored." Then he gave a sweet smile, "Sheldon and I had a long, hugging, hippy-dippy moment."

Penny felt herself tearing up so Leonard quickly said, "Don't do that, you know if you start crying, I will too."

Penny smiled and said, "You're right," and dabbed at her eyes.

Leonard hurried on, "Even though he's only two, it's apparent he's going to be super intelligent."

Penny smirked, "Maybe he will be the benevolent Overload that Sheldon envisioned when he and Amy first started going together."

"Yeah, Howard may have been right; the world will regret we didn't kill Sheldon then."

"Sheldon and Amy have a baby. I would love to see him."

Leonard, shaking his head, said, "I haven't been thinking, I have his picture and tons of other pictures including Howard's wedding on my laptop. It's back at the hotel, but I could bring it out so you can see them. Let's see, I can't do it tomorrow because I have to meet about the project; but I could bring it out Saturday. I don't leave until Monday morning."

Penny felt a sudden moment of sadness as she had allowed herself to forget that he probably would not be staying long. Who knew when she would see him again? But she ignored that and answered, "That would be great, I am sure my folks, especially Dad, would love to see them too."

"All right, it's a date, I'll bring them out Saturday." Then shyly, "Maybe we could do something on Sunday as well. Is there anything like a theme park, we could take Sara and Jeremy."

"There's a Six Flags over Omaha, but let's wait and see on that, okay?"

"Okay, said Leonard, but he looked a little disappointed.

Penny changed the subject by asking, "How are everyone's parents and family?"

"Well, my parents got divorced. My Dad ran off with a younger woman; a waitress. Kind of ironic, huh? Guess he wanted someone to hug him back."

"Oh, that's too bad, but I don't know if I blame your father. How did your mother take it?"

"She didn't let on, but I think it bothered her. Maybe because she was just a waitress." Smirking to Penny, "No offense." Penny just gave him a glare. "She is currently working on a book about her grandchildren, scaring my brother and sister to death."

"How are your brother and sister?"

"Hayley has never had the breakthrough on Diabetes she sought, but her experiments have provided treatments for aiding those with the disease. Michael just argued a case before the Supreme Court, he won of course."

"Sheldon's mother is still going strong. She remarried about a year ago. It was traumatic for Sheldon for a while but since he got married and had a kid, he is a lot more adaptable. Missy had a little boy with the man she lives with; although her mother is not thrilled with the situation, she has come to accept it, albeit still pushing them to get married. Sheldon's brother is evidently a confirmed bachelor and acts like he is still a kid."

"They had a scare with Sheldon's Meemaw about a year ago but she is doing fine now."

Leonard paused, trying to think of anyone else Penny had known and might be interested in hearing about. "Leslie Winkle and Kripke are the same. Neither has had a breakthrough idea."

They Penny spoke up, "How about Stuart? Did he ever find anyone; is he still running the Comic Book Store?"

"Penny, Stuart's dead."

"Oh my God, what happened?"

"There was a fire at the store and the circumstances made the authorities and the insurance company think that Stuart set it on purpose to collect the insurance." Leonard lowered his head and looked guilty, "I have to admit, we even wondered at first. Then we were ashamed of ourselves and had started to look into a way of getting financing. But, with the insurance company holding up payment and the police still suspicious, Stuart went into a deep depression. He Od'd on some of his pills. It was ruled a suicide."

"How horrible." After a moment, "Did you ever meet any of his family?"

"His mother and brother came out to take his body back home. Oh, when they were going through his stuff, they found a picture he had drawn of the whole group together and gave it to us. We have the original hanging in Sheldon and Amy's apartment but I have a copy on my laptop. I could print it out for you."

"That would be great, thank you."

Leonard hesitated and Penny realized he was about to talk about himself. She shifted slightly to prepare herself. Ever since she had seen him at the Mall, she had fought against the realization that she still had feelings for him. She selfishly didn't want him to be married or with someone. But she also faced the fact that there was little or no chance for them. She doubted if he still felt anything for her. Hell, she didn't even know if they still could be called good friends. Besides, they couldn't make it work when they lived down the hall from each other and she was five years younger and a waitress slash actress. Now they were a thousand miles apart and she was a thirty-year-old stripper with a four-year-old daughter. Closing off those thoughts, she sat back to listen.

"About four months after you left, Priya decided to go back to India. Neither she nor Raj told me and I only found out when I overheard her talking to her parents on Skype. When I confronted her, she was angry that I had let her parents know she had been with me and said she didn't want to deal with it."

"We tried to keep it going long distance, but then I met a girl at the Comic Book Store and went to her apartment intending to cheat on Priya. We went as far as kissing, but then I realized I couldn't go through with it. I was so pompous I actually felt proud that I had stopped. When I told Priya via Skype, she admitted she had been sleeping with her ex-boyfriend. We both knew it was over. She later married him and they have a little girl. When I visited Raj, she and I sat down and came to a good closure."

Penny was stunned. They had only lasted a few months. What if I had waited, how would my life have gone then? But then she had an epiphany. In an alternate life, she wouldn't have Sara. She knew she would never want that.

"With what happened with Priya, you gone, and Amy and Sheldon hoping she could move into my room as a next step, I decided it was time for a change. I heard that Stephen Hawking was considering a new series of expeditions, so I decided to contact him and see if there was any chance I could get involved. I was surprised that he did have an opening and he invited me to join his team."

"For the next two and a half years, I spent my time at sea and other countries; returning only occasionally, as for Sheldon and Amy's wedding."

"Then one day, during one of the breaks, I was thinking back over that paper that Sheldon and I wrote together. You remember the one; you went to the presentation that Sheldon didn't want to attend."

Penny snickered, "You mean the one where you and Sheldon ended up on the floor like two spoiled brats; nerd fighting?"

Leonard, looking defensive, "Yeah, that one."

"The best part was it finally got you to get rid of that ridiculous corduroy jacket."

"I wouldn't call it…"

Penny repeated emphatically, "Ridiculous!"

"Anyway, I was thinking about it and had one of those breakout ideas that you really don't believe happen. I saw a whole new path of research growing out of it. The more I examined it, the more excited I became. Finally, I went to Dr. Hawking so he could help me with two questions. First, did he agree it was worth pursuing and second, I wanted to be sure that my idea didn't grow out of any of the research we were doing as a team. He agreed with me on both points and suggested I move forward. I had planned to take a break and return to the States to be there when Sheldon and Amy were having the baby. Now I decided to leave for good. I resigned after the next expedition and returned to Pasadena."

"After the excitement of the birth and the baby was home and everything had settled down, I showed Sheldon my idea. I was thrilled when he became excited over it and even pointed out another result I had not seen. In fact, he was so impressed that he agreed with me that we should put our full energies into pursuing it."

"We took the idea to Caltech and without revealing precisely what our path was, we were able to have them agree to let us contact donors to obtain funding and use facilities at Caltech to move forward. The final selling point was when Dr. Hawking strongly endorsed the potential of our work. I decided to approach Mrs. Lathrop."

When Penny rolled her eyes, Leonard quickly added, "And no sex was involved."

"In the end, she became our primary donor and she persuaded other donors to contribute as well."

"We quickly discovered that the science and math would require an enormous amount of work. We found ourselves working eighty-hour weeks. Needless to say, Amy quickly objected to it, telling Sheldon he needed to spend more time with her and his son."

"Sheldon and I immediately agreed and reached the following arrangement. Sheldon would work from home and spend his time exclusively on the math proofs involved. I would continue to do the grunt work, performing experiments and massaging the huge amount of data generated by the equations."

"For the next six months, I averaged about ten hours a day working on the project. But then we were finally ready to publish. It may seem that I did the brunt of the work, but Sheldon's math was profound and elegant; plus, he participated equally in the writing of the paper. There was no doubt he contributed as much or more to the success of the project even considering the number of hours I put in."

"Although we knew we had produced something extraordinary, the response was amazing. There came a tremendous amount of demand on our time, giving speeches and preparing papers further expounding on the project. Since Sheldon hated to give speeches, hated to travel by plane, and wanted to be home with Amy and Isaac, I once again became a traveler. For the next six months, I gave speeches all over the world, while Sheldon handled the production of follow-up papers."

Then came the first announcement which demanded more speeches and clarifying papers delivered to the Committee. Then came the presentation, which was followed by months of dealing with the Press and everything else involved. It was only a couple of months ago that I finally had some time to myself."

Penny was confused, "The Press? What committee? What presentation?"

Leonard gave her a strange look like she was pulling his leg. Then apparently seeing nothing but confusion, said quietly, "Penny, Sheldon and I won this year's Nobel Prize for Physics."

Penny's eyes widened and her hand went to her mouth as she screamed, "Oh my God!"

Then she impulsively went to him and gave him a huge hug. After a moment, he returned it.

Penny pulled back, recovering her voice, 'That is so fantastic. I suppose Sheldon was all, it's about time. He didn't begrudge sharing it with you, did he?"

Leonard gave a small smile, "Sheldon has really changed since he got married and especially after Isaac was born. When we first heard we were among the finalists, he told me, 'Leonard, all my life my goal was to win the Nobel Prize; I knew it would be the crowning achievement of my life. Now that I have had a son, a Nobel Prize pales in comparison.'"

Penny felt herself tearing up, "That is so sweet. I guess our little boy has finally become a man."

Suddenly Leonard started crying with her. After a few minutes, they both managed to get control back.

To get back on track, Penny asked, "What exactly do you get when you win?"

"Well, there's the medal, the recognition, and of course the prize fund."

"How much is that?"

"The total prize is equivalent to about 1.2 million dollars. So, after taxes, Sheldon and I each got about five hundred thousand dollars."

Penny found her eyes widening once again, "You won half a million dollars?"

He smirked, "It is a big deal you know, even if you didn't know anything about it."

"Hey, the only news I get is what's discussed at home and that I hear at work. The Nobel Prize in Physics just doesn't rank with what's happening with the Kardashians."

"I suppose your right. Well, that's about it. I think you're all caught up. Unless you have some questions?"

Penny definitely had some questions, especially one big question. She thought she had the answer but wanted to be sure. Her problem was asking without revealing something she didn't want to. Finally, she decided to just go ahead. Leonard would just figure she was curious, right?

Keeping her voice light, "Well, there is one thing; you have talked about romance and personal stuff about the others. How about the loves of Leonard Hofstadter?"

He looked at her for a few seconds and she inexplicably felt warm. Then he answered, "There is really not much to tell. As you probably gathered from what I said, I have had very little time to form a relationship. Oh, there were a couple shipboard romances, but since we didn't see each other afterwards, nothing really developed. About the only reasonable serious relationship I had was with Carrie, a woman from Australia. We were on two consecutive trips together and it was starting to get rather serious. Then I made the mistake of going home with her; when she saw how inept I was at any type of surfing, and how out of place I looked on a beach, she decided it was a deal breaker."

Penny couldn't help but smile, "Yeah, I have to admit, you are definitely not Surfer Boy material."

Leonard looked embarrassed, "She called me the Little White Guppy."

Penny puzzled, "Why?"

"Well, you know, like from 'Moby Dick', the Great White Whale."

Penny couldn't help it, she broke out laughing. Seeing the look on his face, she said, "I'm sorry, that was cruel," but continued to laugh.

Leonard tried to look hurt; but it was so good to hear Penny's laugh again, that he quickly broke down and laughed with her.

When they settled down, Penny said, "I am sorry, but it is really funny."

"I suppose it is, now."

Suddenly Leonard stood up. "I'm really stiff, I need to walk around. Also, I need to relieve myself. Is there a bathroom in here?"

"Afraid not, but you can go over there where the straw is."

Watching Leonard walk away, she marveled again how amazing he was, how much he had to overcome, and how far he had gone. She also realized that if they had stayed together, he probably wouldn't have accomplished what he did. Maybe everything was for the best, he had become famous and she had Sara. But even as she thought that, she knew she didn't want it to be over; that she still wondered if they could be together. Sighing, she got up, stretched, and waited for him to return.

 **A/N Thank you again for all your reviews. I really appreciate them. I know I copied the names Bridget and Hayley from something I read and apologize I cannot remember specifically so I can give credit where credit is due.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Still don't own anything.**

Penny finished stretching and sat down next to Leonard. Now that the time had actually come, the doubts returned to her. Should she do this? Perhaps it was better to leave the mystery. What would they think of her? What would Leonard think of her? Was she taking a risk with Sara? No, she needed to do this. She owed them an explanation and she really had nothing to be ashamed of. Gathering her courage, she turned to a waiting Leonard and began.

"When it seemed obvious that you and Priya were serious, and I knew Priya wanted me to stay away, I decided to get serious about dating again. At first it was just regular dates, but then I met Steve."

"He was tall, handsome, intelligent, charming, and rich. He was a lawyer in a prestigious Los Angeles law firm. Basically, the whole package. I was swept off my feet. We were intimate in his penthouse the first night I met him. We went to the finest restaurants, were admitted to the most exclusive clubs, and partied with celebrities. It was like a whirlwind. He seemed like everything I had always wanted and led the life I had always dreamt about."

"I just never seemed to find the opportunity to tell any of you about him because it seemed like I had entered another world. It was like it had nothing to do with my old life."

"Then, after we had been together about four months, I discovered I was pregnant. At first, I was scared and worried, but then I thought how we were together, how he had told me of his strong feelings for me and I became convinced that this was good for us. That it would solidify what we had. That I loved him."

"Well, when I broke the news to him, his reaction was slightly different. He went ballistic. He called me a gold digger and said I set out to entrap him. Then he ordered me to have an abortion."

"As you know, Leonard, I don't react well to ultimatums." Leonard, looking shocked at what he had been hearing, ruefully nodded in agreement.

"Besides, I was raised in Nebraska and I knew it would deeply hurt my parents if they ever found out. But most of all, I wanted the baby. I didn't realize how much until that moment."

"I blew up. I told him where he could put his abortion. Then I told him I never wanted to see him again and stomped out."

"As you can imagine, I was crushed. I went home and had a good cry then tried to decide what I should do. I wanted to go to you guys but something held me back. I think I was ashamed that I had been sucked in so easily. That I had been so wrong about him. Then there was the fact that my time with him had been like it was in a different world. And maybe there was that I didn't want Priya to know about it. I started to believe that I should go home, back to Nebraska."

"Then, three days after I left Steve's apartment, I got a call from another lawyer at his firm, telling me he needed to discuss something with me. I decided 'What the hell' and arranged to meet him."

"He pulled out a paper and laid it on the table between us. He said he had a proposition for me. If I would sign the paper; agreeing to move away, never reveal who the father was, and agree never to sue for any financial aid, they would pay me the sum of $100,000. On the other hand, if I decided not to sign, Steve would sue for custody. In effect, it was a threat that they would try to take my baby. He pointed out that while I was a struggling waitress, Steve came from one the most prominent families in Los Angeles and could give the baby whatever it needed."

"Now, I wasn't a complete fool, I knew that there was a very good chance that I would win if they tried that. But, I also knew there was a chance I could lose. I thought of going to a lawyer, but realized that even if he told me that 95 or 96 or whatever percent of the time I would prevail, there was still a chance I would lose. I just couldn't let him have my baby, especially when I knew he didn't want it. Since I had already been thinking of going home to Nebraska and since I really didn't want anything to do with him, I decided to accept the offer."

As she paused, she looked at Leonard, but found it difficult to read him. Noticing she had paused, he felt she was waiting for something from him.

"I think I understand what you were going through, but I wish you could have felt that you could trust us. That you could have at least given us a chance to help."

Penny felt herself tearing up. "I know I handled it badly, but I was afraid that they would say I had broken the contract if I stayed in contact with people in Pasadena. I was also afraid you would try to stop me from leaving. I decided it was best that I just leave."

Leonard, hating to see her upset, "It's okay Penny, I do understand and I think the others will too. We just missed you. I am glad you sent your Dad to tell us you were all right, but that you needed to get away and we should not try to find you. It did give us some peace of mind."

Then Leonard had a thought and asked, "You aren't putting the agreement at risk now, are you?"

"I thought about that, but I decided it will be all right. It has been five years and I am planning to stay here and Steve is not his real name. I do want to stay in contact with all of you, l but I would like to ask that it be controlled by me."

"I think everyone will agree, but only if you contact them soon, especially Amy and Bernadette. I'm sure once I tell them I found you, they will get very impatient."

Penny smiled, "I will, I can't wait to talk to all of them." Then she had an idea. "How about this, you will still be here Sunday; can we set up a meeting via Skype at your hotel? I could bring Sara and she can meet everyone as well."

"That's a great idea! I will arrange for it tonight when I talk to them."

Suddenly, there was an awkward silence. Then Leonard, shyly, "I really have missed you Penny, I would like to stay in contact with you and Sara."

Penny, smiling sadly, "I have missed you too Leonard and I want you to be a part of my life again."

But then Penny turned serious. "But it's possible you may feel differently after I tell you the rest."

At his questioning look, she continued, "It's about what has happened since I came back."

"When I called my parents and told them I was pregnant and that I was coming home, something seemed off kilter. They were shocked of course, but I got the feeling they were hiding something, that they weren't sure they wanted me to come home."

"Deciding I was imagining things, I moved forward with my plans. I packed up what I needed and took off when you were all at work. I planned to have Dad come back up and tie up the loose ends with the landlord, etc. I knew he would be probably the one person you would believe when he told you I was okay and I knew I could trust him to keep my secret."

"When I arrived home, I was hit with a series of shocks. It seems that my parents had been hiding a lot from me, apparently trying to protect me and prevent me from trying to help."

"It turned out that I was not the only prodigal daughter returning home. Apparently, Bridget's husband had run off, cleaning out their checking and saving accounts, leaving her and Jeremy destitute. They had moved in with Mom and Dad about nine months before."

"I also found out that my brother had finally gone too far and was doing hard time."

"But the real shocker was what my father had done."

"I should give a little background here. For years land prices in Nebraska had been steadily rising. Although there were some doomsayers who said it couldn't continue, they were continually proved wrong."

"When one of our neighbors decided to sell his land because of ill health, my Dad evidently saw a chance to make some real money. Without consulting my mother, he mortgaged our farm to the hilt in order to obtain the money to buy the land, planning to turn a quick profit."

"Well, it was then that the doomsayers were proved right and the land market finally began to correct itself. Once started, prices dropped rapidly. Dad tried to sell and get out, but everyone was waiting for the market to bottom out. When it did, he was in deep trouble."

"He finally had to sell off all the land he had purchased plus our fields to save what was left of the farm."

"By the time I arrived, even what was left was in danger. Having used the last of their resources and no real income, they were not able to make payments and the bank was ready to foreclose."

"As you can imagine, everyone's life was in chaos. My mother had never forgiven Dad and only stayed because of Bridget and Jeremy. They were sleeping in separate bedrooms and hardly talked to each other. Bridget was a complete mess. She had no idea what was going to happen to her and Jeremy. She had dropped out of high school, lived with a guy for a few years, then got knocked up by another guy who she married and had really never been on her own."

"And now here comes Penny, pregnant and returning home. They probably figured, could things get any worse?"

"But of course, I was also bringing something they could not have imagined; $100,000. I assumed it would be the answer to their prayers. I figured I could get the whole matter settled and we could get back to normal. I never even thought of not using it. This was our home and I wanted to raise my baby where I had been raised."

"Unfortunately, I didn't realize how bad it was and to my Dad's credit, he told me to save my money and not throw good money after bad."

"But, I just couldn't leave them like that. I at least had to try. We finally worked out a deal with a sympathetic banker where we would have the loan all caught up and more reasonable payments moving forward. We even had enough of the $100,000 left to make payments for about a year. Although we weren't sure how it would go after that, we figured we would face that when the time came."

"I worked as long as I could as a waitress so we would have a little cushion built up. We also expanded the Truck Garden and sold vegetables and eggs beyond what we needed. It was quickly apparent we would have little left over for luxuries. When my old laptop finally died, I didn't even have the money to replace it. It's been a spartan life but we have the farm and each other. When I moved in, I took the room that Dad had been sleeping in. It served as a catalyst for them to work out their problems. It will probably never be completely the same between them, but they have made it work for them."

"Soon after Sara was born, the original money was running out. It was obvious we needed a new source of income. Since Bridget had never really worked and we needed someone to help out on the farm and with the kids, it fell to me to provide the income."

"It soon became apparent that the previous jobs I had would just not provide the income we needed. I was contemplating taking two or three jobs but that would leave me with no time for Sara."

"It was then that I ran into an old friend of mine, Cherie Hudson. We had known each other since Middle School and had been cheerleaders in High School. She caught me at a low point and after a little prodding, I poured out the whole story to her, including details of my life in California."

"When I was done and she had finished telling me what she thought of 'Steve' and some interesting ideas on what she would like to do to him, she told me that she might have a way I could make the money I needed."

"When she told me she was a stripper at 'A Gentlemen's Club', I just stared at her in disbelief. First, that she was doing that and even more stunned she would think I would do it."

"She could sense what I was thinking and hurried to tell me that she had originally felt the same way. But she told me that it was really a high-class place and the owner was an upfront guy. She then said I should at least give it a look. If I still felt the same way, I could just leave; no harm done."

"Under normal circumstances, I would have told her to drop it, but these were hardly normal times and I really did need to get the money we needed. Also, I figured that I could trust Cherie. So, against my better judgement, I agreed to at least give it a try."

"The next day I went with Cherie and she introduced me to Doug Cummings, who owned 'A Gentleman's Club'. To make a long story short, I came to agree that it was something I could do; that it was a safe environment in which to work. I agreed to take the job."

Penny sneaked a look at Leonard and saw the shocked look on his face. Turning away, she continued, "Now, all I had to do was tell my parents."

"My mother's reaction was surprisingly muted, but she has always been more pragmatic and accepting of what is needed. On the other hand, Dad went crazy, screaming that no daughter of his was going to take off her clothes in front of a crowd of degenerates. Although I know he really wanted to protect me, I think he was also reacting that way because he felt guilty that his actions had led me to do this. We finally got him to settle down and listen. I told him that he had to trust me on this, that he should know I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't believe it was not degrading or humiliating for me. That the whole operation was high-class and designed to protect the girls. It also helped when I told him Cherie Hudson was also working there. He had known Cherie's parents for a long time. He called them and they told him they understood where he was coming from because they had felt the same way. But they told him they had checked it out and although they would never be thrilled about it, they felt it was a quality operation."

"In the end, he reluctantly agreed, although I am sure he has never fully accepted it."

I looked up at Leonard, the shock was gone and he was looking pensive, like he was trying to process what he had heard.

Seeing me looking at him, he smiled and said, "I am really proud of you Penny. It is amazing what you have done to keep your family together and provide a loving atmosphere for Sara."

He then continued, "I can't believe that Steve could ever act the way he did. To have you and a child would be the greatest thing in the world. You may say he was intelligent, but I think he is an idiot!"

Then his voice got quieter. "But I need to admit, the fact that you had to take the job as a stripper does bother me. I believe everything you say about it, but I'm ashamed to say, it still affects me at some level."

But he quickly added, "But it's not that I am ashamed of you Penny or feel any the less of you; the problem lies with me."

Penny reached out and took his hands. "Thank you, Leonard. It means a lot to me for you to say you are proud of me. I think I understand about the stripping, but hope you can overcome what you feel."

Leonard squeezed her hands, "I hope so too. It may just be the initial shock of hearing about it."

Then Penny, nervously, "I hope you still want to be a part of our lives."

"Of course, Penny, more than ever."

Then, Penny leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Then pulling back, she blushed and said, "I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that."

Leonard smiled and continued to hold her hands. "It's okay, it's been an emotional day and I certainly am not complaining. I appreciate how hard it must have been for you to go through this and I am glad you trusted me enough to tell me."

Then as they awkwardly undid their hands, Leonard smiled and said, "I do have one more question, though. How do you live without a computer?"

 **A/N Thank you so much for your reviews. I really can't express how much I enjoy your input.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Still doesn't belong to me.**

After Penny turned off the space heater, and they got bundled up again, they headed back to the house. It was a quiet walk, both of them dealing with what had just happened. Trying to come to grips with a lot of information and emotion.

As they entered the house and Penny noticed the time, she realized she was very hungry.

"Leonard, I am going to fix myself a sandwich, can I get something for you?"

"A sandwich would be great."

As Penny worked on the sandwiches, Leonard continued, "Well, are you ready for Christmas?"

"Yeah, I really only had five presents to buy and not a lot to spend but I was really pleased with the gift I got for Sara.'

Looking around, she lowered her voice, "I got her a Komfy Kelly Doll."

Also in a low voice, Leonard answered, "I am guessing that is cool?"

Penny chuckled and said a little sarcastically, "Yeah, Cool."

She then motioned for him to set down and as she put the sandwiches on the table, she asked, "Is water okay?"

"That's fine, thanks."

She retrieved a pitcher with ice water from the refrigerator, filled two glasses, and set the glasses on the table as she sat down next to Leonard.

Just then, Sara came through the swinging doors. She immediately asked, "Can we go see the horses now?"

Penny answered, "Can't you see we're eating? We can go when we are done."

Sitting down at the table, Sara continued, "Okay. Can I have some water?"

"You know where it is."

Sara went over to the refrigerator and poured herself a glass and returned to the table.

When they finished and the three of them headed for the stable, Leonard found himself getting more and more nervous. Although he had not really had a lot of experiences with horses, the moments he had showed that he was not adroit in dealing with them and left him skittish around them.

Sara was asking her mother, "We have only two horses, how will Leonard be able to ride?"

Penny, sensing Leonard's trepidation, said, "Leonard doesn't mind, you and I will just ride."

"Are you sure? Turning to Leonard, "You want to ride too, don't you?"

Leonard, caught off guard and not sure how to answer, stammered, "No, that's OK, I uh wasn't planning to, don't have my riding clothes on."

Sara, looking puzzled, "Riding clothes? What your wearing looks okay."

Penny, as they reached the stables, "Here we are."

As they entered, the horses greeted them as usual. As Penny and Sara rubbed their noses and gave them their carrot, Leonard tried to quietly stay back.

Sara finished and turned to Leonard, "That's Dallas and this is Daisy."

Staying back, Leonard said, "Hi Daisy, Hi Dallas."

But then Sara turned and handing him a carrot, said, "Here, Leonard, here's one for you to give to Dallas."

Seeing no way to avoid it and getting no help from Penny, he took the carrot and headed gingerly for Dallas. As he approached the stall, something startled Dallas and she slightly reared up, her hoofs hitting the stall door. Leonard leaped back, his feet getting tangled with the cleaning materials causing him to fall right on his behind.

As Sara giggled, Penny hurried to his side, "Leonard, are you all right?"

Leonard embarrassedly muttered, "Yeah, I'm fine," as Penny helped him to his feet.

Seeing Sara still giggling, Penny admonished her, "Sara, that's not polite, Leonard could have been hurt."

Looking chastised, "I'm sorry, Mommy." Turning to Leonard, "I'm sorry I laughed."

Leonard brushing himself off, "That's okay Sara, I imagine it did look pretty funny and I'm all right."

Picking up the carrot off the floor, Sara offered it to him, "Here's the carrot."

Seeing the look on Leonard's face, Penny jumped in, "That's okay, let's just get to work on the stalls."

As Penny and Sara lead the horses from the stalls, Leonard managed to discretely stay away from them.

He then decided to help with the stalls, but without gloves, his hands starting getting sore and the hay was affecting him.

Penny, noticing his discomfort, said, "We've got this Leonard, why don't you take a break?"

Gratefully, Leonard carefully walked around the horses and went outside.

Sara, watching him go, turned to her Mother. "I don't think Leonard has done this before."

"You're right, Sweetie, Leonard lives in a big city."

"He's not afraid of horses, is he?

"No, he's just not used to being around them."

Sara went back to work, but Penny could tell she didn't have a very high opinion of Leonard.

Outside, Leonard was berating himself. _Way to go Hofstadter, you really managed to make Sara think you're an idiot._

After a while, getting the courage to look back in, he saw they were done with the stalls and were saddling the horses. Deciding to stay outside and avoiding doing something stupid that would make the situation worse, he stepped back and waited for them to exit.

When they came out, he immediately said, "If you don't mind, I think I'll go back to the house and wait there."

A little sadly, Penny said, "No, go ahead, I'll see you later."

Leonard added, "See you later, Sara, thanks for showing me the horses."

Sara, quickly, "You're welcome, Leonard," as she rode off on Daisy.

Penny looked sympathetically at Leonard and followed after her.

Watching until they were out of sight, Leonard stood there, thinking of what had just happened. Finally, sighing, Leonard walked slowly back to the house. After shedding his winter gear, he went into the kitchen finding Wyatt sitting alone at the kitchen table nursing a cup of coffee.

Wyatt looked up, "Hey, Leonard, where's Penny?"

"She and Sara went for a ride. "

As he watched Leonard flop into a chair, Wyatt asked, "Something wrong?"

"I just made a fool of myself in front of Sara."

"Oh, I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you think."

"First, I gave a lame excuse for not riding. Then one of the horses reared in his stall and I jumped backward and fell on my butt. Then I had to quit working in the stall because by hands are like veal and the hay was affecting my allergies. And I am pretty sure Sara could see I was nervous around the horses."

Then he had a worse thought, "Penny probably thinks I'm a wuss, too."

"Penny knows who you are and what you're weak at. I'm sure she doesn't think anything of the kind. As far as Sara goes, unfortunately, you're probably right. That someone wouldn't love to be around horses is kind of foreign to her."

Then seeing the look on Leonard's face, said, "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll come to see your good points."

"Maybe she'll get interested in computers and comic books."

Suddenly looking serious, Wyatt asked, "Did you and Penny have your talk?"

"Yeah."

"Did my name come up?"

Leonard, guardedly, "It may have."

"Cut the crap, Leonard, she told you what I did, didn't she?"

"Yes."

Wyatt took a sip of his coffee and sat back.

"You know, the idea wasn't without merit. After all, the bank was willing to lend me the money to do it. The stupid part was not letting Susan in on what I was doing."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I was afraid she would say no. I convinced myself she would be too cautious and we would miss the chance. I realize now what I was really afraid of was that she would make sense. I don't know, maybe it was one of those time of life things. Anyway, I was lucky I didn't lose her too."

"Penny said you tried to stop her from using her money."

"Yeah, at least I had enough decency left to do that. But, on the other hand, I hate to think where we'd be now if she hadn't been her usual stubborn self."

"She said you were originally against her being a stripper."

"Damn right I was. Still not fond of the idea. They talked me into it, saying what a high-class place it was. I know though, that if I hadn't put her in the situation I did, she'd have never done it no matter how wonderful the place was. I find it hard to forget that."

Continuing, "How about you Leonard, what did you think when you heard?"

"I was shocked, and I told Penny it did bother me, but not because I was ashamed of her, that it was my problem."

Leonard looked around, "Is there more coffee?"

Indicating with his hand, "Over there by the sink."

Leonard got up and got himself a cup of coffee and sat back down, taking a drink.

"So, Leonard, are you still with that Indian woman?"

"No, we broke up soon after Penny left."

"Seeing anybody?"

"No. What's with these questions?"

Wyatt smirked, "I would think it is obvious, wanted to see if you were available."

Still needing time to process all that had happened, he didn't want to say anything to Wyatt that might raise any hopes. "Wyatt, if you're talking about Penny and me; right now, I just don't see it happening. I'll be leaving on Monday and don't know what will happen next."

"That's too bad. I always thought you were the best thing that happened for her."

"I appreciate you saying that, but I'm afraid we may have missed our chance."

Just then, they could hear someone opening the back door and Penny and Sara soon entered the kitchen.

Acting a little nervous, Penny said, "Well, what have you two been talking about?

Wyatt smiled and answered, "Just the price of Soybeans." Turning to Sara, "How was your ride?"

"It was great, we ran into Bobby and he and I had a race. I won!"

Lifting her into a hug he sat her on his lap, "That's my girl. How about you, Penny?"

"It was fun. You should have seen her, Dad, she is really improving."

Then, as she sat down by Leonard, "Where is everyone?"

"They all went to the store to pick up some groceries. They should be back soon."

Noticing the time, Penny said she needed to start to get ready for work.

"I need to get back too," said Leonard, "I have a Skype appointment at six o'clock with everyone."

In the silence that followed, Wyatt picked up Sara and said, "Why don't you and I see what's on TV."

He then left, carrying Sara into the living room and the sound of the TV came on.

Penny looked at Leonard, "Are you going to tell me what you and Dad talked about?"

"No." Seeing the look on her face, "I think your Dad should do it if he wants."

Quietly, he continued, "I didn't start off very well with Sara, did I?"

Penny, "Probably not, but that was not a place where you shine." Reaching out to touch his arm, "I'm sure you will get on her good side, after all, she usually appreciates what I do."

Touching her hand, he conveyed his thanks. As they took away their hands, he hesitated, and looking a little nonplussed, he continued, "I'm not sure how you'll take this, but what would you think of I came to the Club."

Penny was caught off guard and answered instinctively, "Why?"

Now, showing a little embarrassment, "I would just like to see where you work. After all, it is a large part of your life. Guess I would like to see what it is really like. Might even help me figure out what is bothering me. But I understand if you'd rather I didn't."

Having recovered, Penny thought about it and answered, "What the hell, why not. I am not ashamed of what I do; in fact I think I have a good act and would like you to see it." Then smirking, "It's not like you haven't seen it all before."

Now blushing and stuttering a little, "Okay, but that's not really the reason…. "

Penny now laughing, "It's really okay, Leonard. Besides, it will give us more time to be together."

She went on, "If it's at all possible, would be good if you could make it tonight. Thursdays are usually slow and we would have a better chance of having time to talk. Oh, I should warn you, it could get expensive."

"If I could arrive about eight, would that work out? Or, I could postpone the Skype meeting."

"No, eight would be about perfect. Now, here's what you need to do."

After explaining what she wanted him to do, she hesitated and then asked. "There is something I would like you to do for me."

"Sure, what is it?"

"When you talk to the guys, could you leave out the part about what my Dad did? You could tell them we had some financial problems and not get specific."

"Yeah, I can do that." After thinking a moment, 'How about this, why don't I skip all the stuff that happened after you came home. I can just tell them you are living on the farm with your folks. We can tell them more later if you want."

"Maybe that would be better for now. Otherwise they may get worried about my situation and there's nothing they can really do."

"All right, I'll talk about Steve, Sara, and the deal you made. Anyway, when I tell them you and Sara will talk to them on Sunday, they'll be thrilled. Well, now I really should be going. I'll tell Wyatt and Sara goodbye."

Leonard went into the living room and said his goodbyes, saying he'd be back on Saturday.

Saying she'd walk him to his car, they put on their jackets and walked to it.

Leonard spoke first, "Well, I'll see you tonight."

Penny smiled broadly and said, 'You certainly will!"

Seeing him start to blush, she just said, "Goodbye, Leonard."

Still slightly blushing, he just said, "Goodbye, Penny."

He got in and drove off, waving as he passed. She waved back, watched until she could no longer see the car, and wrapping her arms around her, headed back to the house.

 **A/N Thanks again for reading and for your input. It really does mean a lot to me.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N still not making any money**

Leonard had always prided himself on his ability to concentrate on his driving, but had to work hard not to let all the myriad thoughts and emotions take over his mind.

When he reached his hotel room, he threw his jacket on a chair, took a beer out of the room refrigerator, flopped on the couch and let his mind go.

There had been something about Penny from the first time he ever saw her. Of course, the first impression was the fact she was so beautiful. But right from the first words they spoke to her, there was something more. As beautiful as she was, she was friendly from the beginning.

He was always amazed later, that he had the courage that day to invite her to eat with them. Even with Howard using his cheesy lines, and Raj unable to talk, and well, Sheldon; she was never condescending, never aloof. Oh, she was sometimes amused by them, but it was never cruel or mocking.

Even when he and Sheldon got de-pantsed, instead of any contempt, she was apologetic, hugged them, and took them to dinner.

He had a crush from that first day. But it wasn't just because she was beautiful, it was her smile, her laughter, and a joy she brought to him.

As she became part of the group, he also was struck by her goodness, by her joy for life.

His sexual fantasy was there, but as he saw the men she dated, he realized he was probably indulging in wishful thinking, but that didn't stop him from wanting to and enjoying being her friend.

And then there was the kiss on Halloween and at his birthday party, and then their first date.

The fact that it turned out to be a disaster didn't make it any less exciting to him.

Then came the trip to the North Pole and the realization that she had romantic feelings for him. It was the happiest time of his life.

Their first sexual experience was less than perfect, but as time went on, they became beautiful together. He explored her body and found what brought her pleasure. Nothing brought him as much joy as bringing her to ecstasy.

Then came that night that he told her he loved her. He knew he had loved her for some time, maybe in a way from day one, but knew she might not be in the same place. But after lovemaking and her making an effort to quote Yoda, it came out.

When she couldn't say it back, he was afraid. He overreacted by trying to get her to say it. He wished he had waited but knew he could never take it back. Even if he never said it again, it would always be there. Every time they made love, it would hang there, reminding them she couldn't say it back.

Perhaps Wil Wheaton hastened it, but the breakup was inevitable. He knew she felt strongly for him and worried about leading him on.

He thought for a time that it was who he was that stopped her from feeling the same, but he came to realize that was wrong. He knew she had strong feelings for him. He knew it should have been easy, she had said it to other men she had been with for only a short time.

In the end, he was confident that she couldn't say it to him because she knew it would mean so much more than when she had said it in the past. Saying it to him meant commitment and she wasn't ready for that.

It wasn't long before they were friends again, because they both wanted the other to be in their life.

There was a setback when she got upset with Zack and made love to him and then said it was a mistake. But he also felt it still showed there was something there.

Then he got back together with Priya. He always felt there was something skewed, something missing in their relationship.

There was the fact that she never wanted to tell her parents. And although the sex was good and he tried to do the same for her as he had for Penny, there was something missing. He realized he was having sex with Priya while he and Penny had made love.

Then, although she would probably not admit it, Penny had made a real effort to become interested in the things Leonard loved, Priya never even pretended to do so.

Then there was the fact that Priya tried to change his clothing, and even got him to get contacts. It was like she was trying to de-nerd him.

Leonard knew that they did not love each other, and that he still loved Penny.

When they broke up, he felt none of the despair he had felt when he had lost Penny. In the end, it was almost a sense of relief. Afterwards he believed it had been in some ways a rebound and a way to feel desirable again.

Having finished the beer, he got another and returned to the couch.

When Penny left, they of course had tried to figure out what happened. In the end, they just believed she had gone home to Nebraska. Bernadette and Amy told everyone about the girl's night when Penny had walked out of the Truth or Dare game.

They also knew she was discouraged with her career.

When they broke up, Leonard knew there would eventually be a Steve or a Bob or a Joe that would come into Penny's life. He wondered if she would be able to go back to telling them she loved them as she had before or if their experience would make her think more about it.

He felt he at least partially understood what had happened with Steve. Knowing that Penny regretted what had happened with him, her belief she had lost him to Priya, and her general dissatisfaction with her life, it would be easy to want to escape, especially when she entered a world at least similar to the one she had always dreamt about.

The catch was that Steve was the path and force behind that life. When she got pregnant, she was afraid she had lost it. That she had screwed up again. She needed to believe that she hadn't, that this would solidify her with Steve, with her new life. That she loved him.

Of course, the question was, what would have happened if Steve had been who she thought he was. When it came down to it, would she have gotten married? Did she really love him?

They would never know the answer to that, or what would have developed if she had not gotten pregnant. But in any case, Leonard didn't feel it reflected on how she had felt about him and that she couldn't say she loved him.

One interesting thing Leonard had noted. Penny said she had started dating seriously when she knew he and Priya were serious. That could also imply she had still had hope for them but had given up.

Sighing, he looked at the clock, it was still a half hour before he was to Skype with the gang.

He turned his thoughts to his current situation.

When he saw her at the Mall, feelings he had worked to submerge, to try to forget, had come to the surface. He knew he still had feelings for her. And from the way Penny had acted and the kiss, he believed she might still feel something for him.

But what if anything should he do about it? So much had changed. Neither of them were the same people that had been together before. But that didn't mean they couldn't still get together.

Before, it had just been Penny and Leonard. A simple question of whether they loved each other. Now there were so many others. Things that needed to be considered in them getting together even if they did somehow discover they loved each other.

First of course was Sara. Not that she would affect him wanting to be with Penny. She was part of Penny, it would be a bonus. But would Sara be happy with him? Would she be happy away from the farm?

Then of course there was the contract and Penny's family.

The obvious solution would be for him to move to Nebraska and help to support the farm.

If he loved her, shouldn't he be willing to do so? The truth was, that as a Noble Prize winner, he practically had a choice of going anywhere in the world, to the most prestigious Universities. He had several projects in mind, avenues he wished to explore. Things he could not accomplish in Nebraska.

As for the contract itself, they could go anywhere except back to California. But that still left her parents. After all she had been through, they wouldn't abandon them. They would have to be made financially secure.

All of this was dependent on them being in love. She hadn't been able to before, what would be different now? How could he be sure?

And as much as he hated to think of it, another factor had been added. Wouldn't it be possible that Penny would realize he could provide a way for her and her family to escape from their present status? Could that make Penny subconsciously or consciously decide she was in love with him? Would he want to be with her if that were true?

He was starting to get a headache. There were too many variables. He was probably overthinking again. Maybe he should start with the question. Did he want to try to get back with Penny? The answer was yes.

Did Penny still want to try to be with him? How could he find out?

They had already decided to stay in contact, to try to stay in each other's lives. Should he just leave it at that and see what developed?

No, they needed to know where they stood.

The best plan was probably the easiest. Talk to her.

He would tell her he still had hopes they could get back together. Then ask her if she felt the same. If she did, he would frankly say he was not willing to do more than what they had already planned to do for now, but with the knowledge of what they were hoping for, see what developed, and work on next steps to take.

Just then his computer beeped. _Crap it's time for the Skype conference._

He hurried over and powered and accessed the conference.

"About time. Leonard, after all, you are the one who asked for this call," Sheldon complained.

"It's only 6:05, Sheldon"

"A better way of saying it is that it's already 6:05."

Then Bernadette spoke up, "Let it go, Sheldon. Hi, Leonard."

"Hi, Bernadette, Hi, everyone."

Chorus of voices, "Hi, Leonard."

Leonard sees that everyone is there but Raj and Isaac. He understands about Raj since is 4:30 in the morning in India.

"Where's Isaac."

Amy said, "He's taking a nap."

Sheldon spoke up, "I hope you called us to tell us you have given up on this quixotic visit to Omaha and your ridiculous meeting and are coming home."

"Not exactly, in fact, it turned out not to be quixotic after all. Guess who I ran into at the mall yesterday?"

Bernadette's voice nears a high squeak, "You don't mean…"

"Yes, I ran into Penny"

Chorus of a couple, "Oh my God," and a few gasps.

Amy cuts in, "How is she, what is she doing, why did she leave?"

Leonard said, "Better sit down and relax." He then proceeded to tell the story of Steve and Sara. He finished by telling them Sara and Penny are living on the farm with her parents.

Everyone just sat in shocked silence until he finished.

Bernadette got in first, "When can we talk to her? Should we come down and see her?"

"She wants to contact you, but because of the contract, would like to control the communication. For same reason, probably should wait before we plan any trips."

Amy continued, "Did you talk to her about us? Does she know Sheldon and I had sex and have a child too?"

"Yes, I did, and she was excited and can't wait to see Isaac. I am taking my Laptop out to the farm Saturday to show her a bunch of pictures. I got her caught up on everyone."

Sheldon broke in again, "Did you ask her why she didn't congratulate us on our Nobel Prize, I am sure she could have done that somehow."

"You will not believe this, she does not have a computer and didn't even know we had won."

Sheldon does his irritating laugh, "Very funny, Leonard. As if anyone could live without a computer!"

'No, it's true. They live a quiet life on the farm."

Howard finally got a word in, "Is she still hot?"

As Bernadette hit her husband, Leonard answered, glad he hadn't told Howard she was a stripper, "Yes, Howard, she is still beautiful."

Leonard went on. "Now, I have big news, she and Sara are going to come to the Hotel on Sunday and want to get on a Skype conference with you."

Everyone cheered and had big smiles.

Bernadette asked, "What is Sara like?"

"She looks and acts like I imagine Penny would have as a child except her eyes are blue. She loves horses and has a pony to ride named Daisy."

Amy, smiling, "I can't wait to see them. What time?"

"I thought of 2:00 Nebraska time if that's OK."

Chorus of voices agreeing.

Then Bernadette cut in, "If we're done, you men get out of here, Amy and I want to talk to Leonard."

Howard and Sheldon leave, exchanging goodbyes with Leonard.

Bernadette spoke first. "How is she Leonard, is she seeing any one?

"She's fine guys. She has done a wonderful job with Sara. Don't think she is seeing anyone."

Bernadette continued, "How about you, Leonard? How are you handling seeing her again?

"I'm okay. I discovered I still have feelings for her. Not sure how she feels about me. Not sure if there is any future for us. Whatever we do will be slow. We have a long way to go to be where we need to be."

Bernadette and Amy exchanged glances as Bernadette continued, "You know our thoughts on this Leonard, we always believed she loved you, she was just afraid to admit it. Maybe, with a child, she's matured and ready to move forward."

Wishing now he had told them the whole story and the obstacles to overcome, he just continued, "I wish I could be as confident of that as you are."

Amy finished, 'Well, we better go now. Will see you on Sunday. Goodbye, Leonard." Bernadette added her goodbye.

Signing off, Leonard told them goodbye.

Checking the time, Leonard decided he needed to get going. He got ready, including a shower. Since Penny told him that the dress code is business casual, he put on a dress shirt, slacks, and dress shoes, entered the club address on his GPS, grabbed his jacket, and headed out the door.

 **A/N Wow, love the input! Think the reviews are better than the story!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N They're still not mine.**

As Leonard neared his destination, he had his first good impression. The club was in what appeared to be a very desirable area filled with hotels, what appeared to be upscale restaurants, and small shops. The building itself showed no hint of what lie within. It looked indeed like a gentlemen's club, but of the Elk Club variety. There were no neon signs or other showy indications. The only thing signifying it was "A Gentlemen's Club" tastefully lettered on the edifice.

As he pulled into the valet parking, he was immediately greeted by a friendly and efficient young man wearing an immaculate uniform with 'The Gentlemen's Club" over the pocket.

As he approached the building, the heavy wood door was opened by a man in a black suit and tie that could not hide his bulging muscles.

Upon entering, he found himself in a small lobby facing opaque automatic glass doors, with a coat checking area to his left.

On the wall was a large sign, highlighting the message that under no circumstances would employees be harassed or touched. It also announced no cover charge but a minimum drink policy.

The girl working the counter showed the first indication of something risqué by wearing a low-cut top, but also stylish slacks.

Once again, he was handled with efficiency, accompanied by a friendly smile, as he checked his jacket.

Passing through the doors, before he even had a chance to take in the surroundings, he was greeted by a thin, pretty woman, wearing a business-like suit.

"Welcome to the Gentlemen's Club."

Following Penny's instructions, he put a fifty-dollar bill in her hand by her waist. With the same amazing ability as a host in Las Vegas, she was able to apparently determine the value of the bill without seeming to look at it.

As he gave it to her, he asked, "I would like a table for two, please."

With no change of expression, she said, "This Way," and led him to a table with two comfortable chairs.

He then slipped her another fifty. Penny had said a twenty should be enough, but he didn't want to take any chances. "Would it be possible for Randi to join me after her performance?"

"I will notify her. Yvette will be your server. I hope you enjoy your experience at The Gentlemen's Club."

She then left, returning to her original location.

Just as Leonard started to look around, a scantily dressed girl came to the table.

"Good evening, sir, I am Yvette, I will be serving you. The Gentlemen's Club has a two-drink minimum policy. The original two drinks sell for twenty dollars, and ten dollars every hour thereafter. What can I get for you to start?"

"Do you have Michelob Light?"

"Yes sir, but I should mention that all drinks are the same price and the gentlemen might prefer something else."

"No, the beer is fine."

"Of course, sir, I'll be right back."

As she left, Leonard had his first chance to check out the room. Once again, the ambiance was one of elegance, with moderate colored walls and carpeted floors. There was a large stage, with the curtain currently drawn. In front of the stage were a large number of chairs right up next to it. There were several more rows of chairs behind them with small tables next to all of them.

Behind them was a row of several larger tables with had six or seven chairs around them.

Leonard's table was behind them with other two seat tables to his left and right. Behind him were several more rows of large tables.

Just then Yvette returned bringing two bottles and a chilled mug. "Here you are, sir. Will you be paying cash or submitting a credit card for a running tab?"

"I'll pay cash," he said, as he gave her a twenty and as suggested by Penny, laid some five and ten-dollar bills by the bottles.

"Thank you, sir, enjoy your evening."

Leonard poured himself a drink and took a swallow, noting it was refreshingly cold.

It appeared Penny was right about Thursday night as there was a small crowd, with most of it concentrated in the chairs by and near the stage. While almost everyone was male, there were four or five women. The few tables that were occupied had girls dressed similarly to Yvette among the customers. Penny had said they were called hostesses and entertained customers at the tables as well as do lap dances. The same tasks were also performed by the strippers themselves, but in order to insure their presence one on one, a little incentive was required, hence the additional fifty dollars.

Penny had said she did her act starting between 8:00 and 8:30 on Thursdays. As Leonard finished his first beer, he checked his watch and noticed it was 8:20. Just then, the lights began to dim and a spotlight hit the stage. A man in a conservative suit stood in front of the curtain with the spotlight on him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Gentlemen's Club. It is time for our second performance of the evening. She was born and raised on a ranch right here in the great state of Nebraska. As a star of Junior Rodeo, you better be kind to her as she can lasso you and hogtie you in less than ten seconds."

A voice in the first row interrupted, "Sounds good to me, if a little kinky." Rewarded with a few laughs, he stood and took a bow.

Leonard noticed that a muscular black suited man he hadn't noticed before, started to move toward the stage, but stopped as the man sat back down.

Undeterred, the announcer continued, "Please give a great Gentlemen's Club welcome to Miss Randi Rancher!"

Just then the curtains opened, the searchlight went off and the stage lights came on.

Penny came out, striding proudly and quickly to the middle of the stage. She was wearing an all-white Cowgirl outfit. It consisted of a denim short jacket, tasseled on the bottom and a skirt that finished just above her knees, again with tassels. It was all topped off by a white cowboy hat. She looked gorgeous.

Leonard noticed how her entrance and appearance had completely captured the attention of the audience.

As music started in the background, she began to move and start to unbutton her top. But there was no hurry. As her act continued, Leonard was amazed as to how she could make four articles of clothing take so long to take off and be so alluring and arousing. She teased, showing skin, only to cover it back up. Moving sensually, she had the whole audience entranced. Leonard found himself becoming aroused.

By the time she finished the strip, seeing her naked body was almost anticlimactic, except she was breathtaking. Leonard thought she was even more beautiful the she had been back in Pasadena.

He was pleased and surprised that the time she was naked was quite short. She proudly walked around the stage and then facing the audience, took a quick bow, causing her breasts to hang down. She then quickly covered herself with her hat as the stage went black and then the room lights came back up.

Leonard found himself clapping and cheering along with the rest of the crowd.

He noticed another example of the class of the club when other employees came out to gather up the money that had been thrown on the stage, instead of Penny having to bend down or crawl around to get it.

Taking another drink of his beer, he reflected back on Penny and her act. Suddenly, he realized what bothered him. It was almost embarrassing because it was so obvious, he should have seen it right away. Besides, it was such a subtle difference. When she had revealed she was a stripper, he had been shocked. The thought that entered his mind was that a large group of men would see her naked. He had unconsciously avoided the thought that they would become aroused watching her.

It was strange that such a slight alteration in his view had been lost to him. At least now he knew what it was and could work to put that behind him as well.

Just then he saw Penny come out from a side door to his left. She was wearing clothes that fit into her stripper character. She wore tight, short blue denim shorts and a man's red flannel shirt tied at the bottom showing off her stomach. Most of the buttons were undone showing a large amount of cleavage.

He watched her sway her hips a little and smile at the other tables as she passed. Once she stopped and leaned over next to a customer, giving everyone at the table a good view of her breasts.

Leonard felt a pang similar to that when she had been approached by other men when she had been dating him. But in a way, this was not as strong because there was not the possibility she would be attracted to them.

All of his bad vibes faded away though as she saw him and approached the table. Her smile changed to the crooked smile he loved so much and her eyes softened.

She arrived at the table and leaned over giving him the same view. Penny smiled to herself as she watched him slightly blush. Then, acting as she would with a stranger, she said, "Barbara told me you hoped I would join you. May I sit down?"

He nodded and gestured to the seat. As she sat down, he marveled at her. She looked so fresh and innocent, like the girl next door, albeit a very sexy girl next door.

Suddenly, Yvette was again the table, carrying a glass which she sat in front of Penny. Penny said, "Thanks for the drink. I usually get one every hour. The first one is ten dollars and the rest five."

Yvette then left after taking a ten-dollar bill off the table.

As soon as she was gone, Penny took a sip from her drink, smiled and said, "Ginger Ale."

Then she turned to him, "Well, Leonard, what did you think?"

"I thought it was great. I went to a strip club with Howard once but they didn't spend much time taking their clothes off and spent most of the time gyrating in the nude."

"That's because they don't really do a strip act. We try to go back to the originals like Gypsy Rose Lee where it was all teasing and sexy. The trick is keeping the mystery up. Of course, we also promise to go all the way, it's that anticipation that really makes it work."

"Well, I thought you were amazing, it looks like it takes a lot of work. Of course, it helps that you're so beautiful."

Penny blushed and took a sip of her drink. "Yeah, it took a lot of work to get it all set up. Each move is planned and rehearsed. By now, though, I have it down pretty pat; although we do make changes occasionally to keep improving it and spicing it up a little."

"Then, looking a little embarrassed, Leonard confessed, "I think I know what was bothering me."

"Penny sat up a little, "What was it?"

"I'm not sure I can really explain it. I had accepted the idea men would be seeing you naked but I hadn't faced the fact they would be aroused watching you."

Penny sat back and pondered what he had said, "I think I kind of understand. It does make is seem more intimate. Maybe you even wonder if I am enjoying that?"

Leonard was a little worried now. "No, no, I wasn't thinking that at all. It is still just me."

Penny sat up straighter and leaned forward over the table. "I don't if this will help, but let me tell you about that first day Cherie brought me to see Doug."

"As you can imagine, I was really nervous and wondering if I was making a big mistake. The main thing that bothered me was the initial meeting with Doug. I was sure he would ask me to strip. After all, that is what I would be doing. I had steeled myself that I would have to do that, but it just seemed more humiliating go be checked out by one man. And although I did trust Cherie, I still had in the back of my mind, he would ask me to do something."

"As it turned out, my fears were all unfounded. I was asked to fill out a standard application form, listing jobs I had done, any training, etc. When Doug called me into his office, once again it was like I had been interviewed for other jobs."

"He seemed to be interested especially in my acting experience, what there was of it, and my acting lessons."

"He then spent some time explaining the hours and what the job entailed and what the pay would be. Even though the tasks were obviously different than those of a waitress, he was so professional about it that it seemed perfectly normal"

"When we were done, he sat back and told me he probably normally would talk to me about perhaps a job as a hostess, because of my lack of stripping experience. But then he admitted he was kind of desperate because one of his strippers had just quit to get married. He told me that it helped I had done some performing in front of an audience and told me that quite frankly, I had the looks."

"He then told me to come back the next day and he would have his premier stripper, Georgina Brown, give me an audition."

"The next day I came back and found a tall statuesque black woman waiting for me. She looked to be in her forties or fifties, but was still gorgeous. She told me to call her Mama."

"Once again, I assumed she would have me strip, but instead she took me out to the stage fully clothed. She then told me to go off stage and then walk out to the middle of the stage. Well, I came out swaying my hips, trying to look sultry."

"To my amazement, she just started laughing. I was a little mortified and a little angry."

"Then she settled down and got serious. She told me to get off the stage and sit with her by one of the tables."

"She said, 'Honey, there is a time for that. It will work good when we do what we call a lineup. Its purpose is to give the customers a taste of what they will see later. And there are lots of places in this town where that is all you need. Where you just take your clothes of and strut around naked, swinging around a pole, get down on all fours and get up close with customers by the stage. You even let them maybe touch you a little and put money in your G string.'"

"She went on to say that they were not stripping, just exposing themselves to the audience. They appeal at only one level, a prurient one."

"She told me she had been stripping for over twenty-five years. She could not deny that men came aroused at her performance, but it was because she controlled it, because she teased them and made them want more. She told me the one thing I needed to know and understand. We are not out there to be an object of their lust, we are there to perform, to control the audience, to elicit those feelings in them. She said she excited them by bringing them along, by having them become engrossed by what she was doing. She told me to just remember, there is nothing as exciting as the anticipation of nudity. Just standing there naked is to offer yourself as an object."

"She said that's why the first thing she taught, the first thing she looked for, is that first moment you go out on to the stage. That's when you win or lose the audience. You have to show them that you are in control, that your proud of yourself and what you're about to do. Then you take them on a journey."

As she finished, Leonard looked at her in amazement. He wasn't sure that what she said would immediately or soon change what bothered him. But he was struck by her passion for what she said and how it implied her work ethic and how she did have pride in her performing.

"Thank you, Penny, I have to admit I need to think about you said. But I can say this, it gives me an idea of the work you have gone through and the pride you take in your work. In the long run, it is much more important how you feel about yourself, then to wonder how others picture you."

Just then Yvette appeared again, apparently another hour had passed. Although he still had an unopened bottle, Leonard ordered two more. He was surprised when she didn't just do Penny's at the same time.

After she left, he turned to Penny, "They certainly have this down, it must be a lot of work to keep track."

Penny smiled, "You should really like this part. There is a huge computer screen in the back with all the tables marked on it, and each person at each table, both customers and employees. Once starting data is entered for each person and of course they need to make entries when new people arrive and others leave, it keeps track of when every drink is due, calculates our percentages in real time, keeps track of the club's portion as well. It does the same for lap dances. We also enter our tips. Each night we can get a printout of what our pay is for the day and exactly how it is calculated."

Penny went on, "You know the lady you bribed when you came in?"

When Leonard nodded, Penny said, "That's Barbara. She graduated something Cum Lauda from some big business school. She is a CPA and Doug's business partner. She stays on top of everything."

Just then, the house lights began to dim and sounds like Jungle Drums began in the background. As they grew louder, Penny leaned over so Leonard could hear her, "Wait until you see this."

As the drums grew even louder, the announcer's voice spoke over them, "And now, The Gentlemen's Club presents its star attraction. She has toured the world, performed before Presidents and Kings. Please welcome Jenna of the Jungle."

As the lights came up on the stage, Mama burst out from the wings to leap to the center of the stage. Where Penny was a presence, Mama was a force of nature. Wearing the fur of a tiger like a one-piece swimsuit, she twisted her body in contortions as the drums continued.

Teasing them with motions that hinted at the body underneath, she continued to send out incredible waves of energy. While Penny's effect was sensual and tantalizing, Mama's was raw and basic, hitting the gut as much as the groin.

Incredibly she maintained the level of energy until finally she ripped the suit off and stood magnificent and sweating as the stage lights went black and the drums abruptly stopped.

There was a moment of silence as the audience sat stunned, then broke into uproarious applause.

Penny had to smile as she looked at Leonard, his mouth hanging open as he watched. When the drums stopped she reached over and pushed his jaw up, just as she joined him in applause.

When the cheers stopped, Penny smirked and asked, "What do you think?"

Leonard could do no more that say, "Wow."

Penny smiled broadly and said, "Exactly."

Once again, Yvette appeared, but this time she leaned over and whispered something in Penny's ear. Frowning, Penny looked over at Leonard. After thinking for a moment, she told Yvette she would be there in a minute.

Leonard asked, "What's up?"

Looking apologetic, Penny answered, "One of my regular lap dance customers is here."

Trying to hide his disappointment, Leonard said, "You better go, I don't want to interfere with your work."

Penny, sadly, "I don't want to. The lap dances are the worst part of the job. But they also pay the most and this guy is a big tipper."

She hurried on, "But Doug does have a rule that the dancer maintains a distance of at least three feet, so it's not like some places where I'd be hanging over him. I'm sorry, Leonard. It shouldn't be too long and Cherie will be coming on soon. You can stay if you want."

Leonard looked at his watch. "I probably should go, I have an early meeting tomorrow."

Then smiling at her, "It's been quite a day."

Penny smiled ruefully, "Yeah, it has. Okay, Leonard, I'll see you on Saturday. Good luck on your meeting."

Then, as she started to get up, she leaned back down and put her mouth close to his ear, "I admit Leonard, I wasn't totally sure you coming here was a good idea, but I am really glad you did. I was proud to perform for you and am glad we had some more time together."

"I'm proud of you Penny, and am looking forward to spending more time with you and Sara."

Still by his ear, she said, "I probably should not do it here, so just pretend I gave you a goodbye kiss on the cheek."

As she then got up to leave, Leonard said, "Goodnight, Penny"

She answered back "Goodnight, Leonard," and walked off.

Leonard watched her go and shook himself, telling himself she was just doing her job. Surprisingly it seemed to help and he concentrated on her last words and the fact he would see her on Saturday and find out where they stood. Picking up all the money the on the table except for a five-dollar bill, he started to leave. He then realized he should have given Penny a tip. After all, she would have received one if she had spent the same time with someone else. Finding Barbara, he gave her one more fifty and asked if she could see that Randi got it. Barbara assured him she would and wished him a good night.

Leonard passed back through the automatic doors, gathered his jacket, tipping the girl five dollars, nodded to the muscular man holding the door, waited while the valet quickly brought his vehicle, paid one more five-dollar tip, and drove off, headed back to his hotel.

Penny sat fully dressed at her station, thinking back over the day. It seemed impossible that so much had happened in less than twenty-four hours. The talk with Leonard and his visit to the club. Then there was the lap dance…

He had started coming to see her about two years before. Since then he had been a regular customer. She figured he must be in his seventies. He always wore the same suit, vest, and tie. During the act he always sat ramrod straight, his hands folded on his lap. She often got the impression he wasn't really looking at her but thinking of something else.

As she had finished up, she had put on the short robe she wore back and forth from the dressing room and tied it around her waist. As usual, he reached out and gave her a tip. She looked down at it and was astounded that it was two one-hundred-dollar bills.

Thinking maybe he had made a mistake, she said, "These are both hundreds, did you want…"

He interrupted her, "it's fine."

In all the times he had come, he had hardly said anything at all, so was surprised when he continued. "I am afraid this will be the last time I will be coming to see you."

Penny wasn't sure how to react, was he dying?

He went on, "My granddaughter has insisted I come and live with her family in Florida."

Still a little stunned at the conversation, Penny said, "That sounds nice."

"Yes, it will be good to spend time with my great-grandchildren."

Then he talked musingly, "The first time I ever saw you on stage, I realized you strongly reminded me of my late wife when she was young. The time I spend with you takes me back to those times."

Penny was thinking she should probably be creeped out, but somehow his demeanor stopped her from being so.

He continued, looking a little embarrassed, "I know this is terribly presumptuous of me, but could you tell me your real name."

Penny usually would not do it, but somehow it seemed okay. "Penny, my name is Penny."

"That's a nice name, it fits you. I'm Ralph."

Realizing how surreal this all seemed, Penny said, "Nice to meet you, Ralph."

Then he smiled and said, "Goodbye, Penny."

"Goodbye, Ralph"

Penny's mind snapped back to the present as Cherie, still naked, drying her hair with a towel, passed by on the way to her station.

Seeing Penny sitting at her desk completely dressed, Cherie exclaimed, "What are you still doing here?"

Penny turned toward her, "Say Cherie, do you have any plans for tonight?"

Putting down the towel and starting to get dressed, Cherie answered without looking up, "Dave has the day off tomorrow and is coming over."

Disappointedly, Penny went on, "Oh, that sounds great. Well, I should get going."

Noticing the disappointment in Penny's voice, Cherie looked up, "Why, what did you have in mind?"

"Nothing really, just realized it had been some time since we had a girl's night."

Now Cherie stood up and looked at her, "Is there something wrong, Penny?"

'Yes, no, I'm sorry I said anything. You better get going, Dave will be waiting for you."

"No, you're right, it's been too long since we had a good talk. As I said Dave has the day off, I'll just call him and have him come over later in the morning."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but it will just make him want me more."

As Cherie took out her phone and called Dave, Penny looked at her watch and saw it was 2:30. In spite of the time, she decided she needed to call her parents and let them know she wouldn't be home until later. Wakening her mother, she let her know she would be at Cherie's.

As Cherie finished dressing and they started down the hall, Cherie asked, "Where do you want to go?"

"I was thinking we could just stay in."

"That's sounds good. Oh, crap, I'm all out of wine, I was going to go to the store tomorrow."

"That's okay, we don't have to have wine."

Cherie looked at her incredulously, "Girl's night without wine? Oh, I know. Here you take these." She took a small key ring containing two keys off her main key ring. "The long one is for the security door; you go ahead to the apartment. I'll stop at the store, pick up some wine, and meet you there."

 **A/N I know I sound like a broken record but your reviews mean so much to me. I really do read and consider your input. I don't want to forget my other readers either. Thank you to all of you.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Still not making any money.**

Penny arrived at Cherie's apartment building and parked as close to the door as she could. Although the apartment was in a reasonably nice part of town, Penny was still a little wary being out alone at three in the morning. She opened the security door, took the elevator to the third floor and let herself into Cherie's apartment.

To her surprise, it was mainly neat and orderly. Cherie had really never been known for good housekeeping. Must be Dave's influence, Penny thought to herself. Throwing her jacket on a chair, she sat down on the couch to wait for Cherie.

She had closed her eyes and must have dozed off, when she heard the chime from the security door. Assuming it was Cherie, she let her in. Cherie soon entered the room with a couple bags, looking a little angry.

"Do you have a death wish, you didn't even check if it was me. And did you leave this door unlocked?"

Penny, looking contrite, "Sorry, guess got careless living on the farm."

Smirking, Cherie locked the door and set the chain, "I probably shouldn't worry, you could have gone all Nebraska Junior Rodeo on them," then ducked to avoid the pillow Penny threw at her.

"I'm going to change. If you want, you can open a bottle."

"If you don't mind, I'll just come in and keep you company."

"Suit yourself."

They went into the bedroom. While Cherie grabbed a top and shorts from a drawer, Penny sat on the bed.

Penny spoke up, "I had a strange thing happen at one of my lap dances today."

"What was it, did the guy fall asleep?"

"Ha, Ha, very funny. No. Do you remember me telling you about my regular customer, that guy that looks like he's at least seventy?"

"Yeah, I'd ask if he had a heart attack, but I figure I would have heard about it."

"It started when he gave me a two-hundred-dollar tip."

Cherie, who was putting her top over her head, stopped and said, "Two hundred bucks! What did you do to rate that?"

"He said it would be the last time he would be coming."

Pulling the top down, Cherie leered at her, "You got that old guy to come?"

Throwing her second pillow of the night, Penny had to chuckle.

"No, now be serious. I was afraid he was going to say he was dying, but he was just moving to Florida. But then he said that he had these sessions with me because I reminded him of his wife when she was young and he would think of those times while he was there."

"Wow, I don't know what I think of that. Is kind of sweet in a way, but still kind of creepy, too."

"I agree, but at the time, it seemed fine. Guess it was how he said it. Anyway, he went on to ask my name and when I told him, he said his name was Ralph. It was all strange but it also made me feel good in a way. Am I weird thinking that way?"

"No more than usual. Actually, now that I think about it, it is kind of cool. After all, you did make him have, I assume, happy memories for at least a short time."

Then, she headed out the door, "Now let's go get happy ourselves."

After they got settled on the couch and each had taken a sip from their first glass, Cherie looked pointedly at Penny and said, "Okay, Penny, what's going on?"

Taking a bigger gulp of her wine, Penny answered, "I ran into Leonard at the Mall yesterday."

Cherie looked puzzled for a moment and then, as her eyes widened, "California Leonard?"

Then as Penny nodded, she continued, "What the hell was he doing in Omaha? Was he looking for you?"

"No, he said he had come down to look into an opportunity with a couple of guys he had worked with. As you remember, I was running late, so didn't have any time to talk, but I invited him to come out to the farm today."

Taking another sip, she continued, "We had a long talk. He caught me up with everything that had happened to him and the group and I told him everything about Steve, Sara, our financial problems, and that I now worked as a stripper."

"How did he take it?"

"Not too bad. He admitted me being a stripper bothered him a little, but that it wasn't that he was ashamed of me or thought less of me."

"Well, that sounds okay. What did he think of what happened with Steve?"

"He said he wished I could have trusted them and given them a chance to help but that he said he understood."

But then she went on. "But I am afraid I might have messed up in talking about Steve. I was trying to explain how I felt when I found out I was pregnant. How I wanted, needed, that Steve would be supportive, that we had something special, that I needed to be in love with him. I think Leonard thinks I said that I loved him."

"Did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Did you love Steve?"

"No, I don't think so. I remember when we had been together about a month. That night, I caught myself about to tell him that I did. But then I thought of when Leonard said it and realized I was just going to say it like I had been able to say it to a lot of guys. It was just a way of saying the relationship had progressed, kind of like, I really, really, like you. I never did say it to him."

"It was actually the life we led, the things we got to participate in, that I loved. Maybe that makes it even worse. If Steve would have been more supportive, would I have married him? Would I have come to love him? I just don't know."

Finishing off her glass, she continued, "It took me a while to understand why I couldn't say I love you to Leonard. But even at the time, I knew that when he said it, it wasn't just that he really liked me, it's because he wanted to be with me, to be committed to me. I wasn't ready for that. As time went on, I regretted that we had broken up, but knew I couldn't try to get him back, because I was still unable to say I loved him, to commit to him. Then there was Priya."

Finishing her glass also, Cherie asked, "Did he end up with her? Is he with anyone now"

"No, they broke up a few months after I left. He said he wasn't seeing anyone"

Cherie sat up a little. "Penny, why do you care what Leonard thinks about whether you loved Steve or not? Is it just that you think he would be hurt that you could love someone else? After all, he got with Priya. Why are you telling me now how you felt about Leonard?

Then she leaned forward, "Penny, do you still have feelings for Leonard?"

Penny leaned over and picked up the wine bottle, pouring herself a glass, she took a large gulp, then turned toward Cherie.

"It doesn't matter if I do or not. He's leaving Monday anyway."

Cherie stared at her, "Of course it does! You're apparently both available. Do you know if he still has any feelings for you?"

"He didn't say, but we did agree we would try to stay in contact, to be in each other's lives."

"That's good, right. Why don't you want to tell him, what are you afraid of?"

Penny looked down, "Cherie, I have hurt this man so many times, I don't want to do it again. What if he does still have feelings for me?"

She continued, "Besides, the chances of it working out for us are slim or none. I didn't tell you, but he and Sheldon won a Nobel Prize."

Cherie's eyes widened, "Wow, that's kind of a big deal, isn't it?"

Penny smirked, "Yes, it is. He's a world-famous Physicist, able to go where he wants, work on important projects. I'm a stripper with a four-year old daughter, stuck in Nebraska."

"That may be true, but weren't you guys kind of a mismatch in California, too?"

"Ok, let's say he does still have feelings. That he is willing to take a chance. That we could somehow overcome the obstacles. I could never tell him I loved him back then, how will he trust me to ever be able to say it now?"

Cherie put her hand on Penny's. "It's been five years, Penny. You have both grown and changed. Yet, you still have feelings for him. If he still has feelings for you, it means there is something worth doing something about. You may be right; the odds are stacked against you. But if you don't try the chances are zero."

Looking into Penny's eyes, she continued, "You two are getting something a lot of us never do; a second chance. Penny, do you want to get back with Leonard?"

Quietly, Penny answered, "Yes."

"Then you have to go for it, you have to let him know how you feel. If you don't, you'll regret it the rest of your life."

"You're right, Cherie, I need to try." Then, smiling, "After all, what do I have to lose?"

Rolling her eyes, Cherie answered, "That's the spirit."

Smiling broader, "That's exactly the exchange Leonard and I had before we agreed to go on our first date."

"See, a good omen."

"Actually, the date was a disaster."

"Apples and oranges, Penny, apples and oranges."

Putting down her glass, Penny reached out and gave Cherie a hug, saying a heartfelt, "Thank you."

Cherie got rid of her glass and hugged her back, "Your welcome, Penny, I hope it works out."

Then Cherie untangled, "Okay, enough of this mushy stuff, it's time for some serious drinking."

As Cherie opened a new bottle, Penny spoke up, "Oh by the way, Leonard was at the Club today. We had a two-seater."

Cherie, filling up the glasses, "He was? Why didn't you tell me?"

Smirking, "Maybe I didn't want you to meet him."

"Yeah, once he saw these legs, it would be a three-seater. What did he think?"

"Think he was impressed, he told me how proud he was of me and hadn't realized how much work it was."

She smirked and continued, "He was also there for Mama's act. You should have seen him with his mouth hanging open."

"What did he think of mine?"

"I had that lap dance with Ralph so he decided to leave."

Cherie, taking another large gulp, "Oh, speaking of the club, Doreen's boyfriend was there. He was sitting by the stage. That guy gives me the creeps. I wish there was some way we could get Doreen away from him."

"I don't know, he has her completely buffaloed. I'd be afraid he might try something if she did leave him."

As the morning wore on, they consumed a third bottle, taking shots at various individuals. Finally, Cherie checked her watch. "Oh, my God, it's five o'clock. Dave will be here in an hour."

Looking at Penny, "Are you fit to drive?"

Penny tried to get up, but the room was spinning, "Nope."

"Damn, I hate to call him again. I know, I'll have him pick me up and we can go over to his place. You can stay here and sleep it off."

"You're sure he won't mind."

"Nah, he's a nice guy. I'm really lucky."

"I'm happy for you Cherie. Do you have something I can wear?"

"Yeah, I'll get it for you." Getting up she wobbled a little, but then headed for the bedroom.

An hour later, Dave and Cherie had left and Penny took a couple pain killers and crawled into Cherie's bed and quickly fell asleep.

Penny woke up about eleven o'clock, took a couple more pain killers, got dressed, carefully locked the door behind her, and headed for home.

When Penny got home, she had several cups of coffee and wolfed down a huge lunch. Then, feeling more human and guilty about missing time with Sara, took her for a long workout with the horses.

Sitting in the kitchen with her mother about four o'clock, she suddenly wondered how Leonard's day had gone. Then she had a little flight of fantasy. Maybe it was a lot better deal than Leonard had imagined and he would decide to stay in Nebraska. Realizing she was missing him, she decided to give him a call.

He answered right away and she was amazed how happy she was to hear his voice. He said that he was glad she had called. Crossing her fingers, she asked how the meeting had gone.

One fantasy quickly crashed. He told her it was even less appealing than he had figured. In fact, he was already back in his hotel room.

They talked a little about their plans for the next day, Leonard confirming he would be over at ten and bring his laptop. Then he surprised and pleased her when he asked if they could take another try with Sara and the horses.

Noticing the time, Penny reluctantly said she had to head out to work. Saying their goodbyes, both of them hung up, each of them nervous and excited thinking that they would find out how they stood when they talked the next day.

At the club, just before she went out for her performance, Barbara informed Penny she had another two-seater. For a moment, she wondered if it was Leonard surprising her. She reminded Barbara she had a lap dance scheduled after her act. Barbara said the man had been informed she would be late.

As Penny headed for her lap dance after her performance, she stole a glance at the two-seater tables. Unfortunately, Leonard wasn't there.

Upon completing her lap dance and changing to her usual attire for the tables, she approached the man waiting for her. Leaning over, she asked if she could join him.

After she received her drink and the hostess had left, she was ready to attempt to start a conversation. Then suddenly, the man asked her, "Are you Penelope Prentis?"

Caught off guard, she instinctively answered yes.

He removed a sealed white envelope from his coat pocket. Putting it in her hand, he said, "Consider yourself served." Then rising, he said, "Have a nice day."

Stunned, Penny stared at the envelope. By the time she looked up, the man was nowhere to be seen.

Nervously, her hand slightly shaking, she opened the envelope and took out the legal looking papers inside. She began to read the first page.

Coincidently, the drums for Mama's act began at the same time. Thus, only those individuals in close proximity heard Penny's outburst.

"THAT BASTARD! THAT DAMN RAT BASTARD!"

 **A/N As always, thank you so much for your input and encouragement.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Still belong to Chuck and Bill**

Cherie was sitting at one of the larger tables within hearing distance of Penny. As the lights continued to dim, she looked up to see Penny leaving her seat and running toward the door leading to the Cattle Call. She immediately got up and rushed after her, ignoring the indignant complaints from the customers at her table.

As she entered, she was greeted by the sight of Penny with her face buried down in her arms, crying.

Going over to her, she reached out and touched her shoulder, saying, "What happened, Penny?"

Suddenly Penny turned, rose up and grabbed Cherie around the neck burying her face in her shoulder continuing to cry uncontrollably. Cherie awkwardly grabbed her as she realized her bare shoulder and flimsy top were rapidly getting wet.

They stayed like that for some time, Cherie awkwardly patting her back, until the tears finally started to subside. Cherie then gently lowered Penny back into her chair.

Grabbing some tissue and dabbing at her eyes, Penny looked up to see that one side of Cherie's top looked like she had been in a wet T-shirt contest, not leaving much to the imagination.

Penny managed to get out, "I'm sorry about that, your top…."

Cherie smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, maybe this should be my new look."

As Penny continued to get herself under control, Cherie asked, "Who were you yelling about, what happened?"

Gesturing to the legal papers she had thrown up by the mirror, Penny said, "That piece of crap Brandon is suing me for custody of Sara."

Cherie was about to ask who Brandon was when she realized that must be Steve's real name. "How can he do that, what about the contract?"

Penny, bitterly, "Either he doesn't give a crap, or hell, he's a big shot lawyer, he probably figured out a way around it."

Then Penny had a terrible thought, "Oh, My God, is it because I talked to Leonard?"

Cherie, who had picked up the legal papers, said, "No, Penny, the date on these papers is over a week ago."

Just then, they heard the door to the offices open and saw an unhappy Doug Cummings heading toward them. Penny quickly grabbed the papers from Cherie and stuck them in a drawer.

Doug Cummings had left his office with the clear intent to chew out one of his employees. Barbara had informed him that Cherie had abruptly left her table. Apparently, they had just paid for her drink and a round and were upset. She had mollified them somewhat by assuring them their money would be refunded and had sent one of the hostesses to the table.

His anger dissipated though, as he surveyed the scene before him. Penny was sitting, her eyes red and puffed as if she had been crying, while Cherie's top was soaked and completely see through.

"What's going on? Are you all right, Penny?"

"I'm okay now Doug, I just had a personal problem."

Doug turned to Cheri, "How about you, you know better than to leave a table like that."

"I'm sorry, Doug, but when I saw Penny run in here, I followed her without thinking."

"All right, but you better get back out there, the customers were pretty upset. And change that top. If they see that, everyone will have to show them off."

Cheri went to her desk, changed tops, and headed out.

As she went out one door, Mama came through the stage door, naked and sweating. Seeing Doug, she came to a stop. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Cummings?"

Then she saw Penny's face, "Oh Baby, what's wrong, are you okay?"

Doug said, "Something happened, I found her like this."

Then turning to Penny, "Do you need to go home, Penny?"

Penny did want to go home, but she knew she would probably need the money more than ever now. "No, I feel better. Just let me get myself cleaned up and I'll be back out there." Looking at the clock on the wall, she said, "I have a lap dance in a half hour, I'll be ready for that."

"All right, if you're sure." Doug then headed back toward his office.

As he went through the doors, Mama turned to Penny, "Don't you try to tell me you're okay, can I do anything to help?"

"No, Mama, it's something I have to work out for myself."

"Okay. I'm going to hit the shower, but if you need anything, I'm here for you."

"I know, Mama, Thanks."

Penny managed to make it through the rest of the night. Assuring Cherie she was okay and that she would keep her up-to-date, she left and hurried home. Awakening her parents and Bridget, she told them what had happened. They were all, of course, shocked, sad, and angry. While Bridget and Susan fought a losing battle not to cry, Wyatt just sat there, stunned. Eventually they all agreed they needed to get Sara out of the house the next day so they could decide what they needed to do. Afterwards, Penny had gone into Sara's room and just watched her sleep, tearing up once more.

Leonard pulled into the farm yard just a little before ten o'clock. Parking next to the pickup, he took out the bag containing his laptop and headed for the back door. After knocking a few times with no response, he wondered if he needed to knock on the inside door. Opening the door, he entered the entryway and knocked on the inside door. After still not getting an answer, he carefully opened the door and stuck his head inside. He was stunned by the sight before him.

Penny and Wyatt were standing at each end of the table, leaning on their hands, screaming at each other. Susan was sitting between them, her back to him, but he could tell she was crying. Before he could decide what to do, Penny evidently heard the door and turned toward him. She got a horrible look of anguish and embarrassment on her face and immediately turned and ran through the swinging doors.

The others then turned to look. Wyatt sat back in a chair for a moment, looking as sad as Leonard had ever seen him. Then he suddenly arose and almost pushing Leonard out of the way, grabbed a coat and went out the back door. Susan was frantically dabbing at her eyes.

Not knowing if he should stay or leave, Leonard stood awkwardly by the door. Susan finally recovered enough to say, "It's okay, Leonard, come in and sit down."

Leonard moved to the table, laid his laptop on it, and sat down across from her. They sat there silently for a time. Finally, Susan said, "I can't imagine what you think of us, of what you saw."

Leonard just sat there, not knowing what to do. Finally, he got the courage to ask, "Can I ask you, what caused all this? What happened?"

Susan looked sadly at him, "Penny should probably me the one you should talk to. She is in the first room to the right at the top of the stairs."

Penny rushed into her room, slammed the door, and climbed onto her bed, sitting against the head board with her knees drawn up. She had never felt so embarrassed, mortified, and disgusted with herself in her entire life. In the aftermath of the shock of getting the notice from Brandon, she hadn't even thought about contacting Leonard. And this was the day she was going to tell him how she felt about him! She had only thought of getting home to her family, to Sara. Then there was her Dad. Would he ever forgive her, would it ever be the same between them?

Leonard walked across the living room, still shocked from the recent events. What could have possibly happened to cause what he had seen. Climbing the stairs, he reached Penny's door. After standing there for a few moments, he knocked saying, "Penny, it's Leonard."

As she heard who it was, Penny was filled with a myriad of emotions. More than anything, she realized she wanted to see him, to have him hold her. But she doubted if she deserved that after she had failed to think of him, to let him know. But even now, she wondered what she should tell him. Did he deserve to have this laid on him? What could he do? After all, he would be back to his life in a couple of days. Maybe it would be best for him if she just let him go, to tell him this wasn't his problem. But then she realized this time she wanted to give him a chance to help, to trust him, not as she hadn't five years before. She then remembered what Cherie had said, she still had to try, she had to tell him how she felt, even if it would be more difficult for him to believe her after what she had done.

Finally, she felt ready and called out, "It's open."

As Leonard entered, he saw her sitting on her bed, her knees up to her chest, clearly upset. As always, it bothered him to see her like that, but he hesitated at the door, wanting to comfort her, but not sure it would be welcomed. Not knowing what was going on.

Penny then gestured for him to come forward and he went and sat on the end of the bed.

Penny started, "I'm sure you're wondering what the hell is going on." She took a deep breath and then continued, "Last night I got served with a paper stating that Brandon is suing me for the custody of Sara."

Leonard felt a moment of sadness that Penny hadn't contacted him, but then felt ashamed for thinking of himself when Penny was so obviously hurting and what a blow she had received.

Like Cherie, Leonard was puzzled at first who Brandon was, but even after realizing who he probably was, he wanted to be sure. "I assume Brandon is Steve's real name."

At Penny's nod, he continued, "I'm so sorry, Penny, I can't imagine what you were going through. Wait, how about the contract? Then before she could answer, "I hope It wasn't because you told me."

"It wasn't you Leonard, the papers were dated over a week ago. As far as the contract, it apparently was not as binding as I thought, or he found a loophole."

Leonard now moved closer to her and took her hand. "I don't know what to say, Penny, what do you plan to do?"

Squeezing his hand, "I don't know. We sent Sara with Bridget and Jeremy on the horses to a neighbor for the day so we could discuss it." She looked down, "You saw how that ended up."

Leonard continued to hold her hand, "Can you tell me what happened between you and your father?"

"We were starting to discuss the reasons that Brandon gave for filing, the top one being the fact I was a stripper and what that meant. Then Dad said, 'I warned you about that. I never wanted you to do it.'"

"Well, with all the stress, it just hit me completely the wrong way and I lost it. I reminded him that I was a stripper because I had to make money because of his stupidity and greed."

"Then he came back and reminded me that he had warned me not to invest the $100,000, that if I would have kept it, Sara and I would be in good shape."

"Then, I told him if I hadn't helped, they would all be out in the street."

"He came back with, that a good mother would think of her daughter first."

"Well, that really tore it, it soon became us just screaming insults at each other. That's when you arrived." Looking down, she said quietly, "I don't know if we can ever really be the same again."

Leonard looked at her, "I think you're underestimating how you feel about each other. You were both under a lot of stress. You are already regretting it and I am sure he is feeling the same way. You know, when we talked, he told me one reason he was so against your stripping is that he felt guilty that he was the one responsible for you having to do it. I think you both had been ignoring some feelings for a long time that needed to be aired."

"You may be right. But in any case, we're going to have to figure out how to put this behind us. We all need to be working together to try to stop Brandon."

Penny looked at him. She wanted to tell him then how she felt but wasn't sure it was the right time. Besides, she still felt guilty about how she had not contacted him when this had happened.

Getting up, she said, "Come on, let's go face the music."

As they entered the kitchen, Leonard was glad to see Wyatt had returned and was sitting at the table. He looked down when Leonard and Penny entered. They sat down with Leonard between Penny and her Dad. After a long awkward silence, Penny finally spoke up, "I'm sorry, Dad, what I said was cruel."

Wyatt answered, "It was nothing but the truth, I screwed up big time. I am really sorry I implied that you were anything but a great mother."

"I think we both said things we like to take back. But the truth is, we all worked together to do the best we could for Sara. The important thing is we put this behind us and concentrate now on what's best for her."

"I agree, I love you, Penny."

"Penny gets up, her eyes watering, gives her Dad a hug, "I love you too, Dad."

She returns to her seat.

Breaking the silence, Leonard spoke up, "You may have covered this, but do we know why St.. uh Brandon is doing this after all this time?"

Wyatt answered, "We thought about it but weren't sure. We did notice that one of the advantages he mentioned was that he would provide a two-parent family."

Leonard, as he took out his laptop, "I wonder how long he's been married." Firing it up he asked Penny, what's Brandon's last name?"

"Stevens, his middle name is David."

Leonard enters some data into the computer. "According to this, he was married just six months ago. Wow, looks like it was quite an affair."

Penny looked over Leonard's shoulder. It was strange to see him after all this time. She noted his wife was not exceptionally pretty, but very elegant. "I just bet his new wife had something to do with this."

Leonard continued, "Could be that he felt it gave him a better chance for custody. But that would mean he had been thinking about it. I would guess it's more likely his wife heard about the baby and felt she should be with her father. She may really believe Sara would be better off with them, or maybe she wants to hurt you. In any case, we have to stop them. The obvious place to start is to talk to a lawyer. "

Penny smirked, "Yeah, like we could afford a lawyer."

Wyatt said, "Maybe the court would assign one?"

Penny answered, "I think you're thinking of a criminal case, Dad. This will probably be in a family court with just a judge. Besides, we're being sued in California."

Susan spoke up, "Isn't there something like legal aid? Maybe we need to contact someone in California?"

Penny asked, "I wonder who's representing him. Or is he representing himself?"

Leonard answered, "I doubt it. You said, Penny, they were a prominent, prestigious law firm, they normally probably wouldn't handle a case like this at all. At the most they probably assigned some junior lawyer to it."

Wyatt spoke up, "That's easy to settle, if I remember right, the lawyer's name is included in the papers." He picked them up and looked through them. "Here it is, Warren Hampton."

Entering more data into his computer, Leonard said, "Let's see if this guy even rates an entry on Google."

A few moments later, he looked stunned and said, "Holy crap, was I wrong."

Penny comes over to look, "What is it?"

Leonard still stunned, "This guy is a super lawyer. He must be the star of the firm."

Penny, a little angry, "Why would they use him against me?"

"Brandon must have more pull than we thought. Didn't you say, Penny, he came from a prominent family?"

"Yeah, they were some rich bigwigs." Penny continued sadly, "How do we compete with that? We can't even afford some bum lawyer."

Leonard answered, "Don't panic. This probably isn't a complex case. Any lawyer will be able to present our side. Besides, I think the judge is there to protect your rights too."

Penny, a little frustrated, "Come on Leonard, you really don't think having a high-powered lawyer doesn't give them a big advantage? He'll know every trick and take full advantage of any mistake our lawyer makes."

"I guess you're right. But there must be some competent lawyers that normally handle these cases that aren't from big firms. What we need is someone who can point them out to us." Then he paused. "You guys stay here. I have a phone call I need to make."

Going into the living room, he sat down on the couch, and hit number forty-seven on his speed dial. A woman's voice answered, "Hello."

"Hi Diane, this is Leonard, is Michael there?"

"Oh Hi, Leonard, it's good to hear from you. Congratulations again on your Nobel. I still feel terrible we didn't attend the ceremony but Michael just couldn't get away."

"Thank you, Diane, and I understand he was involved with the Supreme Court case. Could I speak to him please?"

"Of course." He hears her call out, "Michael, Leonard's on the phone."

He hears Michael in the background, "All right, I'm coming. Wonder what he wants."

Then, into the phone, "Leonard, to what do I owe a phone call from you? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No, and it's nice talking to you, too. Actually, Michael, I have a legal matter I would like to discuss with you, do you have a few minutes?"

"Well, I was going over some papers, but I guess I can let them go for a bit. I'm going to go back to the den and get comfortable." Leonard waits while he apparently walks to another room, then Michael continues, "Okay, what's going on?"

"Do you remember me or Mom talking about a girl named Penny?" Leonard than quickly regrets his phrasing.

"Of course, I remember, Leonard. Did you forget I have an Eidetic memory? Let's see, waitress slash actress, dumped you, then later disappeared. Is that the one?"

"Well, yes. I recently traveled to Omaha to look into a project when I ran into Penny. The point is that the reason she left had something to do with the fact that she was pregnant. And now she is being sued for custody by the father."

"Leonard, I'm hoping you are not foolish enough to think I would waste my time with something like that. Also, you know I am not licensed to practice law in Nebraska or hardly any other state. I am a tenured law professor at Harvard who will occasionally handle cases before the Supreme Court."

"Relax, Michael, I am not going to ask you any legal questions. It seems that the father is a member of a prestigious law firm in Los Angeles and the lawyer that is representing their side is like a super lawyer. Penny doesn't have a lot of money, but I want her to at least get a competent lawyer that would have some kind of a chance against this guy."

"Interesting. Just who is this super lawyer?"

"His name is Warren Hampton."

"I see. Why would his firm want to have such a brilliant lawyer get involved in a case like this? Even if this father is with the firm."

"We wondered about that too, but I understand his family are really rich and prominent."

"And probably have a large retainer with the law firm. A customer they would not want to lose. Okay, let's see if I understand. You expect me to give you the name of a competent lawyer that could be obtained for a reasonable price? Really, Leonard, how could you expect me to possess that information?"

"I agree it's a long shot. Actually, the case is apparently going to be tried in California. What I actually was thinking was that you perhaps knew a prominent lawyer that although he wouldn't take the case himself could recommend someone."

"Well, that's a little more reasonable, but still seems a bit farfetched. I will give you one piece of legal information. This case will end up in Nebraska not California. Even a first-year law student could get the Venue changed." After a few moments. "Leonard, as outlandish as this request is and would normally be a colossal waste of my time, I actually may be able to help you."

He continued, "One of my former students currently works for the firm of _Hays, Hays, and Hays_ in Omaha. He was one of my best students and is arguably on a level with Mr. Hampton. As it turns out, he believes he owes me a favor since I helped him out of a small jam he was in."

"Now Leonard, don't get your hopes up. He would never waste time on a case like this, even if his law firm would allow him to do so which they won't. But, it is possible I could prevail upon him to at least meet with you and he might be able to recommend someone."

Leonard answered, "That's great, Michael. Sounds like exactly what we need. What do I need to do?"

"I will call him Monday and if he is willing, I will have him contact you to set up a meeting. Again Leonard, don't put too much on this. I think he will help if he can, but that is a big if."

"I understand, Michael, but it's much more that we had." Hesitating, "I really appreciate this, Michael."

"Come on Leonard, don't get brotherly mushy on me. It was a miracle that I could help you." Then slyly, "It is interesting that you are making such an effort after what this Penny has done to you. Don't tell me you still have illusions about her and you."

"Of course not, Michael, just trying to help her out for old times' sake."

"Yes, and I'm a small-town lawyer." Then, with sincerity. "Be careful Leonard, I would hate to see you hurt again."

Gratefully, "Thank you, Michael. Say Hi to Diane and the kids."

"I will. Goodbye, Leonard."

"Goodbye, Michael."

 **A/N I still say the reviews are better that the story. Just want you to know how much I enjoy reading them and getting your input.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Fortunately for the show, I don't own it.**

When Leonard returned to the kitchen, he was greeted with three sets of questioning eyes.

"Now, I don't want to get everybody's hopes up, but I think I have at least a possible path to getting a lawyer. I talked to my brother and he is going to contact a former student of his here in Omaha that might be able to recommend someone."

Wyatt spoke up, "That's great, Leonard. Is your brother a lawyer?"

"He's a tenured professor of law at Harvard University. He rarely actually practices law."

Penny interjected, "Didn't you say he won a case before the Supreme Court?"

"Yes, but he really isn't licensed to practice law in most states."

Wyatt asked, "So, what do we have to do?"

"He is going to call the lawyer on Monday. If the lawyer agrees, I'll be contacted to set up a meeting."

Then Penny asked, "But aren't you scheduled to fly out Monday morning?"

"Yeah, I am, but I really don't have anything immediate to get back to, so I can delay it." Hesitating, he then went on, "In fact, I was thinking that all the rest of the gang have plans for the Holidays. So, if you guys don't mind, I would like to stay over until New Years. Would like to be sure we have a lawyer."

Susan quickly said, "Of course we don't mind, that sounds wonderful. Would be great to have you celebrate with us. Don't you agree, Penny?"

Penny, who had a huge smile on her face, just nodded.

Wyatt asked, "Why don't you just stay with us? The couch folds out into a bed."

Looking a little pensive, Leonard answered, "Thank you, Wyatt. Normally, I'd love to; but I have been thinking, Brandon seems to have a lot of information on what's going on. I'm afraid he likely has an investigator down here. I think it might be better to error on the side of caution and not stay here."

Wyatt nodded, "I don't like it, but you're probably right. Are you going to be able to stay in that hotel?"

"I'll check around, I can probably find something that rents by the week."

Then Susan spoke up, "Okay, I think that's enough for today on this Brandon thing. Bridget and the kids will be back before we know it. We have been so busy that we skipped breakfast. Is anyone else as hungry as I am?"

When she got agreement from everyone, she said, "Penny, would you help me? Wyatt, take Leonard in the living room and find something to talk about."

Then Penny spoke up, "Oh my God, I just realized with all that's been going on, that I never told you guys that Sheldon and Leonard won a Nobel Prize!"

Susan and Wyatt just stared, then Wyatt says, "That's amazing. I want to hear everything about it."

As the men went into the living room, Susan turned to Penny, "He's quite a guy, isn't he?"

Penny blushed a little, "Yes, he is."

As she worked with her Mother on the sandwiches, she realized how domesticated this felt.

While they were eating, and continuing afterward, Leonard talked to Wyatt and Susan about the Nobel and the rest of what had happened during those five years. Then, remembering why he originally planned to come back on Saturday, Leonard hooked up his laptop to their TV so they could look at the pictures he had stored on it.

Just as they were getting started, Bridget and the kids returned. They then regaled everyone with the tale of how they, Bobby, and his sister rode all the way to the lake and had a picnic. Evidently, even Jeremy had his own pony.

They then joined the audience as Leonard resumed showing the pictures. The big hits for the women were the weddings and little Isaac, but everybody also enjoyed the pictures he had taken of the ship and the countries he visited.

When he was done and unhooked his laptop, he noticed that Sara seemed interested in the computer. Asking Penny and Bridget if they minded and getting their permission, he asked Sara if she and Jeremy would like him to show them more things on his laptop.

Getting an emphatic yes, he had them set beside him at the kitchen table and showed them some sites on the internet. As the three sat there, thoroughly engrossed, Penny could not help smiling. And when he called up a site about horses, and Sara crawled onto his lap for a better view, Penny felt herself tearing up.

Then Leonard introduced them to some children's games they could play. Before anyone knew it, it was time for Penny to go to work. When Leonard announced he should be going too, Susan saw the look of disappointment on Sara and Jeremy's faces.

She spoke up, "Leonard, if you don't have anything specific to do, why don't you stay for supper? Wyatt's going to cook up some hamburgers and corn on the cob."

Sara immediately said, "Yes, please stay."

Leonard looked at Penny who smiled broadly and shrugged her shoulders.

Leonard then said, "That sounds great, except I'll skip the corn."

Penny then went to get ready. When she came back down, she said, "Can I borrow Leonard for a minute? Leonard, will you walk me to the truck?"

As they went out, Penny said, "I don't know how to thank you for everything you did today. Getting a lawyer, the pictures, and especially the time you spent with Sara and Jeremy."

Leonard, blushing a little, said, "We don't have a lawyer yet and it was very enjoyable for me to spend the time with you and your family, especially Sara. Besides, now I have something to fall back on when I screw up with the horses."

"You know, my mother said you were a quite a guy. I think everyone in my family would agree."

A little embarrassedly, Leonard said, "Even you?"

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, "Especially me."

Then opening the truck door, "I'll see you tomorrow, goodbye, Leonard."

"Goodbye, Penny."

It was nine o'clock when Leonard left for the hotel. Thinking back, he reflected on how much he had enjoyed most of the day. He also hoped the thing with the lawyer worked out, but he was worried and scared about what could happen with Sara. He also realized it had never seemed the right time to talk to Penny about how he felt. Oh well, he was going to be around for a while, he would get his chance. He also needed to discuss with Penny if and when she wanted to inform everyone about what was going on. It would probably mean they would have to let them know she was a stripper. Maybe he could call her in the morning.

It was a usual Saturday night at the Club, that is, sold out mayhem. All the girls were kept busy all night, so the first chance Penny got to talk to Cherie was in the Cattle Call after the others had left. She told her about how Leonard had worked to try to get a lawyer and that he was staying past Monday. She also mentioned how he had spent time with Sara.

Cherie though, had another agenda. "Did you tell him how you feel?"

"It was kind of hectic, I never had a chance."

"When are you going to tell him?"

"Will you back off, he's going to be here for a while, I'll tell him."

"I know, why don't you go tell him now?"

Penny stared at her, "It's almost three o'clock in the morning."

"So, both of you can sleep in. Besides, if it does go bad, you won't have to get him to leave, you can just walk out."

"I said, I'll talk to him later."

"Penny, the longer you put this off, the harder it's going to be to explain why you didn't say something sooner."

Remembering what she had said to Sheldon that awful day she dumped Leonard, she said, "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope."

Penny was about to just leave when she realized that maybe Cherie was right about putting it off. She knew she had been afraid she would lose his friendship, but, after today, deep down, she knew he would always be there for her. She really did want to let him know, to find how he would react. When she started dialing, Cherie got a smug look on her face. Sticking out her tongue at her, Penny finished dialing.

When she heard Leonard sleepily answer the phone, she almost hung up, but then steeled herself. "Leonard, it's Penny, I know it's late, but I have something I need to talk to you about. Can I come over?"

She could hear he was struggling to wake up. "Penny, what is it? Did something happen? Is everyone all right?"

"Yes, Leonard everyone is all right. Nothing is wrong, there is just something I need to talk to you about."

Seemingly now awake, "Okay, Penny, if you think it is so important that we need to discuss it now, come on over. You remember the room number?"

"Yes, 324." Leonard had told her for the Skype meeting the next day.

"All right, see you in a bit. I'll put some coffee on."

She gave a quick hug to Cherie, who murmured, "Good luck, Penny, I'll have my fingers crossed."

As they headed down the hall, Cherie said, "Whatever happens, call me as soon as it is over."

"Don't worry, I will."

After Mike led them out to their vehicles, Penny drove off toward the hotel.

She arrived and rode the elevator to the third floor. Leonard answered on the first knock. She had to smile to herself when she saw him wearing the same old red robe. Evidently, some things never change.

As she put her jacket on a chair, Leonard asked if she wanted coffee. She really didn't, but it gave her a chance to get settled, so she said yes. She sat down on the small couch.

Leonard poured each of them a cup and joined her on the couch. Penny took a small sip and then put the cup down. Leonard sat his down as well and looked expectantly at her.

Penny took a deep breath, "Leonard, from the moment I saw you in the mall, I realized I still have feelings for you."

Leonard was stunned, she had said it. He was happy and relieved, but all he got out was, "You do?"

She nodded, but before she could say anything more, Leonard smiled and said, "Penny, I also still have feelings for you."

Penny could hardly believe it, could it be true, but all that came out was, "You do?"

Leonard smiled and said, "Yes, I do."

But then he turned serious and took Penny's hands in his, "But, Penny, it can't be the same as it was before. This time we need to be on the same page. We need to both want the same thing out of the relationship. I am not looking for anything short term. I want us be together, to love each other. I do not expect guarantees, but I do need to know you want what I want. If either of us decides that is not what they want, or finds they are not capable of doing so, we need to let the other one know."

Then looking into her eyes, "Is that what you want too, Penny?"

Squeezing his hands, "Yes, Leonard, I do. I want us to be together, to be a family. I don't know if I am capable of doing so, but I will do my best to be that person. I know it will be difficult for you to ever believe me if I do tell you I love you because of the way I treated you; but you must believe me when I tell you that is what I will be working for with everything I have."

"Penny, that is all I can ask."

Penny smiled, "So what do we do now?"

Leonard rose and pulled her up with him. As he did so he leaned forward and kissed her. He did not use his tongue but pressed his lips strongly to hers. She immediately responded, pushing her lips against his, and pushing her body against him. They continued for what seemed forever, and then they pulled back and put their foreheads together, each getting their breath. Penny finally got out, "Well, the cat's still alive."

After a time, they stepped back. Penny said, "I probably should go."

Leonard looked disappointed, but then said, "You probably should."

Walking toward the door, she picked up her jacket and put it on. She stopped at the door, as Leonard came up behind her.

Turning toward him and smiling, she said, "It's been a hell of a week."

"Actually, it's only been two days…" Seeing the look of exasperation on her face, "He quickly said, "Yeah, quite a week."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Then, he thought of something and said, "Penny, do you want me to tell everyone about what is going on with Brandon? If I do, I will probably have to let them know the stuff we left out the first time."

"Let me think about it. Maybe after the Skype with Sara, you could take her for ice cream or something and I could tell them myself."

"All right, I'll just wait and see what you decide."

Penny turned serious again and reached out for his hand, "I just want you to know how happy you have made me tonight. I want you to know how much I want this to work out."

"I believe you, Penny, I feel the same way."

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, whispering, "I look forward to being alone again."

Smiling, Leonard said, "You better go."

Smirking, she said, "Goodnight, Leonard."

"Goodnight, Penny."

After he closed the door, Leonard went and sat on the couch. When she confessed she had feelings for him, he realized he had not been completely truthful with her. He didn't just have feelings for her, he loved her. He knew he had never really stopped loving her. He wondered if he had loved her in some way from the first time he saw her. But that didn't mean he wasn't serious about everything he said. He was not going to end up where he had before. He deserved to be loved back. If she couldn't do that, he needed to move on. Sighing, he headed back to bed.

Penny found herself practically giddy as she arrived at her pickup. The knowledge that Leonard had feelings for her, that they had a second chance, made her realize how much she had wanted this. But it also scared her, that she would fail again, that she would not be able to commit, that she would not be able to love him like he deserved. Then she thought of how she had felt when she had seen him with Sara and knew she had changed, that she had matured, that this time maybe she could be what he needed.

As she got in the truck, she quickly dialed Cherie's number. She answered immediately, saying, "Tell me it went well."

Penny smiled and said, "It was great. He told me he still has feelings for me."

"Well, I would ask if you had sex, but if you did, it couldn't have lasted long."

"We did not have sex. We have a way to go. He needs to know that I am capable of loving him. But, we did have a great kiss."

"I was just kidding, Penny. Seriously, I am so happy for you. You deserve to have something good happen to you."

"Thank you, Cherie. Believe me, Leonard is good for me. I just hope I don't blow it."

"You won't, Penny, just trust yourself and him."

"When did you get to be such a philosopher?"

"What, did you think I was just some Bimbo? Don't worry, Penny, just let it happen. I really believe you two are meant for each other."

"Well, I hope your right. Cherie, thanks for being there for me."

"No problem, I know you would do the same for me. Now, I need some sleep. See you Monday.

"Goodnight, Cherie."

 **A/N Thanks again for those who stick with me and keep reading the story. And of course, a special thanks to my wonderful reviewers. Believe me, I read them all and appreciate your points of view. Many of your suggested plots are probably better than mine.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N Still doesn't belong to me.**

Reminiscent of the night after he and Penny had talked, Leonard had a tough time getting any sleep. Finally giving up, he got up at eight o'clock. Making himself a fresh pot of coffee, he sat in a chair and looked out the window.

He remembered his thoughts that other night. All the different scenarios that had run through his mind. In the end, he had decided that there was no need to concern himself with all that if Penny had no feelings for him and had made that his first priority.

Now that question had been answered. He immediately felt a surge of happiness and smiled to himself as he remembered the kiss.

He realized now that many of the scenarios he had ran before still might have some application, but they were all overshadowed by Brandon suing for custody.

Ironically, that action may have also removed some of the previous obstacles or at least made them questionable. Was the contract now null and void? With Brandon apparently figuring a way around it, was Penny also free from it?

In any case, his concentration needed to be on helping Penny keep Sara, while continuing to explore his relationship with Penny.

So much seem to depend on obtaining a competent lawyer who could provide answers to the questions he had. Was the contract dead? What were their chances? When did they let Sara know? Would Brandon get to meet her? What did they need to do? To avoid?

Sighing, he decided there was nothing he could do on that score until Monday.

Finishing his coffee, he realized he wanted to talk to Penny, to hear her voice. Then he got an idea and was about to call Penny when he realized the time. Deciding to give her another hour, he got dressed and went to the hotel cafe for breakfast.

Penny woke at her regular time. Although she had been excited and restless for a time, the long night at the club caught up with her and she fell asleep. Lying in bed, she thought back to the night before. She couldn't help smiling broadly at what had happened. She knew nothing was written in stone. She decided she would just try to follow Cherie's advice, let it happen and trust herself and Leonard.

But then reality struck as she remembered the lawsuit. But she decided there was nothing she could do about it until the next day and vowed to just enjoy this Sunday.

She also realized she owed Leonard an answer on whether to tell the group. After wrestling with, it she decided to put it off until the lawyer situation was resolved and they had more information. Perhaps just put if off until the holidays were over. No need to interfere with their celebrations. She couldn't imagine the case would proceed much before then.

Just then her phone rang. Again, she was amazed how pleased she was to see it was from Leonard.

"Hey Leonard, what's up?

"Just wanted to go over a couple ideas with you. And I wanted to hear your voice."

Penny couldn't help but smile. Then, Leonard went on. "First of all, before I forget, did you think any more about telling the gang?"

"Yes, and I think I would like to wait until after New Year's. Hopefully, we will have talked to a lawyer by then and I don't want to mess up their holidays."

"That makes sense." Hesitating, "I was thinking, why don't you and Sara come by early and we can have lunch together."

Smiling, "That sounds good." Then, looking at her watch, "Don't think she has anything planned with anybody; but I am sure she will want to work with the horses since she will be gone this afternoon. Is about noon all right?"

"That's fine. I'll be here whenever you can get here."

"Okay, see you then. And Leonard, I know I told you last night, but I need you to know how happy I am over what happened and how hopeful I am."

"I know Penny, and I do feel the same."

Penny then hung up and realizing she had a lot to do, got herself out of bed.

It turned out to be twelve-fifteen when Penny, who had called ahead, and Sara met Leonard in the hotel parking lot and transferred Sara's booster seat to Leonard's rental car.

After everyone was buckled in, Leonard asked, "Any preferences?"

Sara spoke up, "Can I get a McDonald's Happy Meal?"

Leonard smiled broadly and said, "An excellent choice." Then, after locating the nearest McDonald's, they drove off.

When they had returned to the hotel, having indulged themselves in one Happy Meal (Sara), one Big Mac with fries (Leonard), and one salad (Penny), Leonard worked to get ready for the Skype session, while Penny and Sara watched TV.

As the time approached, Penny could sense that Sara was a little nervous. She herself was nervous but excited. It had been so long since she had talked to them. She knew they would never judge her, but she still couldn't help wondering what they thought about it all. Well, with Sara there, she was sure this session would be upbeat.

The session began precisely at two o'clock, much to Sheldon's satisfaction. Penny had decided to keep Sara off camera at first, so she could talk to them alone.

Bernadette started it off, "Penny, it's so good to see you, you look great."

"Thank you, Bernie, it's so nice to see you all. I have missed you so much."

Bernadette continued, "We missed you, too."

"Congratulations to you and Howard on your wedding. Leonard showed pictures of it to me, it looked awesome."

"Thanks Penny, the only thing that prevented it from being perfect was that you weren't there."

"Oh, and congratulations on your Doctorate and your new job. You go, girl!"

Smiling, "Thank you, Penny, it has been exciting."

"Howard, I was so sorry to hear about your Mother. I know how much she meant to you."

"Thank you, Penny. Everyone has been so supportive."

After a moment. "Leonard also told me about your space trip, Howard Wolowitz, astronaut. Very impressive."

Howard answered, "When you have time, I would love to share the entire experience with you."

A little sarcastically, "I look forward to it."

Then, Amy broke in, "Hi Bestie."

Penny smiled, "Hi Ames. I was so excited to hear about you and Sheldon. I am so sorry I missed your wedding too."

Then, Penny went on, "Hello, Sheldon. Congratulations on winning the Nobel Prize."

"Hello, Penny. A little late, but thank you. It is gratifying to see you again. I have missed our little exchanges and changing the Wi-Fi password."

Penny, smiling broadly, "I never thought I would say it, but I admit I have missed you and your insults as well." Then, "This must be Isaac."

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "Of course it is Isaac, who else….?"

Amy, Interrupted sharply, "Sheldon!"

Penny couldn't help smiling as she watched Sheldon stop talking.

"Hi, Isaac. I'm Penny."

"Hello, Penny. But there was no need to introduce yourself, I was informed it was you I would be talking to."

Penny had to smile, he was just like Sheldon. But she was also amazed how advanced he seemed for his age.

Then Penny continued, "Hi, Raj. Congratulations on your wedding. Your kids are so cute."

"Thank you, Penny. This is my wife Jasmine and my sons Raj, Jr. and Emil."

"Nice to meet you, Jasmine."

Jasmine answered with a nod.

Then, deciding it was time, Penny motioned Sara over, "Everyone, this is my daughter, Sara."

Jumble of voices saying 'Hi, Sara."

Then Raj spoke first, "Oh my, Penny, she is so pretty, she looks just like you."

After a little awkward silence, Amy said, "I understand you like horses."

Sara perked up, "Yes, I have a pony and her name is Daisy. We also have a horse named Dallas. Mommy rides her when we go riding. The other day I beat my friend Bobby in a race."

Bernadette joined in, "Wow, you must be a good rider."

Looking up at her mother, "Mommy says I am really getting good."

Penny smiled and put her hand on Sara's shoulder, "She'll be riding circles around me one day."

Bernadette continued, "Sara, do you go to school?"

"No, I start next year."

Amy asked, "Isaac, do you have anything to say to Sara?"

"I checked the weather for Nebraska. Isn't it really cold?"

"Sometimes, but everyone says it's not bad for this close to Christmas."

"Do you have snow?"

"Yes."

Penny interjected, "Would you like to see it, Isaac?"

"Yes."

Leonard helped Penny set up the computer by the window so it aimed at the snow on the ground.

Isaac seemed impressed. He turned to Sheldon, "Look Dad, they have snow."

"I see, Isaac, not really a surprise since it is Nebraska."

Amy, with a small glare at Sheldon, "Yes, Isaac, it looks they will have a white Christmas."

Leonard then stepped in. "I have some news I was going to tell you later, but seems a good time now. Since all of you are going to be occupied during the Holidays, I have decided to stay here and celebrate them with Penny and her family."

Sheldon spoke up, "Leonard, this is unsatisfactory, you know they are expecting you back at Caltech."

"Relax, Sheldon, it will only be a couple of weeks. Besides, the college will mostly close down for the Holidays. They won't mind waiting until January. After all, I am a Nobel Prize winner."

Sheldon, reluctantly, "I suppose you're right, I just don't see how you can stay in Nebraska of all places."

Penny, smiling, "It's better than North Dakota!"

Sheldon answered, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Still smiling, Penny continued, "Nothing, Sheldon, nothing at all."

Leonard said, "Well, I think it's time to wrap this up. Anybody have anything to say?"

Bernadette spoke up, "Penny, is there any chance we could come down to see you?"

"Why don't we see after the Holidays. Okay?"

Bernadette, disappointedly, "Okay, but keep in touch."

"I will. It's been so great being with you guys. Goodbye for now. Say Goodbye, Sara."

"Goodbye"

A chorus of "Goodbye. Penny, Sara."

Leonard shut the session down.

After Leonard closed his laptop down, he picked up his jacket and said, "I'll help you transfer the Booster seat."

Then, Penny had a brainstorm, "Leonard, if you're going to be here until New Year's, you're not going to get by with the clothes you have. You need some winter gear. How about it, Sara, should we take Leonard shopping at the mall?"

Sara, enthusiastically, "Yes, shopping!"

Penny smirked at Leonard, "Like Mother, like daughter."

Usually, Leonard would do anything to get out of shopping, especially at a mall. But Penny was right, he did need some warmer clothes. The real reason he caved so easily though was the chance to spend more time with Penny and Sara.

"Looks like I'm outnumbered. But just clothes for me, right?"

Penny rolled her eyes, "Oh yeah, no detours at all."

This time Penny was not so fortunate as her previous visit. In spite of having Leonard drive through the parking lot for several minutes, they finally decided to take a space somewhat further away. By the time they entered the mall, Leonard definitely agreed he needed warmer clothing.

As they made their way through the mall, Sara suddenly spied a sign, "Look Mommy, Santa's at the mall today. Can I go see him, please?"

Based on the size of the crowd in the mall, Penny had a feeling there would be a long wait. But seeing the look on Sara's face, she decided they could give it a shot.

Her worst fears were confirmed when she saw the length of the line. Hoping to deter Sara, she said, "Honey, are you sure you want to wait in that line? Maybe we could come back another day."

Sara, however, was completely undeterred. "No, Mommy, it's okay, I want to do it now." Then sensing an ally, "Leonard, you don't mind waiting, do you?"

Caught off guard, Leonard stammered, "No, of course not," ignoring the look he was getting from Penny.

Resignedly, Penny gave in, "Okay, Sara, go get in line. We'll be right here."

Excitedly, Sara rushed and found her place. Grinning, she waved back to them. In spite of herself Penny had to smile. Turning to Leonard, she said, "You don't have to wait if you don't want to. I think they have an arcade somewhere."

Leonard looking surprised, "No, I want to watch. I don't want to miss anything."

Glancing over at Sara, Penny held Leonard's hand. She still wasn't sure how Sara would react if she tried to explain about Leonard. She had never really had a serious relationship since Sara was born.

Fortunately, the line seemed to be moving fairly rapidly and Sara soon reached the foot of the steps leading up to Santa. It was set up similar to the scene in 'A Christmas Story,' where you ascended one side and then exited on the other. Although, the exit were steps rather than a slide.

As Sara started up the steps, she could see her Mother and Leonard. She noticed they were holding hands. Sara had very few friends. Mainly Bobby and his sister, and of course Jeremy, who really didn't count because he was her cousin. She had always felt a little apart because of her situation with her father. She realized that it was not normal to not even know her father's name. Her mom had always said he was a good man but they had just needed to be separate.

She had stopped mentioning him when she saw it just upset her mother.

Having few friends and being mostly isolated on the farm, she spent a lot of time with her mother. She had gained a feeling for her moods. Though, actually, for the most part, her mom seemed to stay the same.

But recently, that had changed. And it all started when Leonard came to the farm. When she had learned the surprise had nothing to do with her, she had not paid much attention until she heard Bridget say the visitor was from California. Through the years, she had learned that California was where her mother had been before moving back to Nebraska.

She had thought that since Leonard was an old friend and from California, he might know her Dad. For a short time, she had even wondered if he could be her father. Both hopes had been dashed when Leonard told her he didn't even know her father. She had quickly decided Leonard was a little strange when he had trouble with the horses. Everyone she knew loved horses.

But she did notice a definite change in her mother's mood. She seemed for the most part, well, happier.

But then, Saturday morning, everything changed again. Everyone had been acting strange. Suddenly, she was sent off to Bobby's when there had been no mention of that before. And Bridget seemed to be upset about something the entire time.

When they returned, things seemed more normal and Leonard was back. She had enjoyed the pictures and was thrilled when she and Jeremy got to play with the computer.

Then this morning, her mother had been happier than Sara ever remembered. And when she had told Sara they were going to have lunch with Leonard, she got the feeling that her mother's mood was again connected to him.

She had been nervous about seeing all of her mother's old friends, but they had seemed nice. She had wanted to ask if any of them knew her father, but after what happened when she asked Leonard, she decided not to.

Now as she watched Leonard and her mother, she sensed something was happening. She remembered when she was three and Bridget had been spending a lot of time with one man. She hadn't really understood what was going on. Her mother just told her, he was someone Bridget liked.

Sara decided that her mother liked Leonard.

Finally, Sara reached Santa. After climbing into his lap and an elf snapped their picture, Sara quickly told Santa that she wanted two things. First, a pony. Sara figured she would let Jeremy ride it. Second, she wanted a computer.

Then she was put down and descended the steps to meet her Mom and Leonard. For just $9.99 plus tax, Leonard purchased a picture of her and Santa together.

They were leaving the area, when Sara had an idea. Usually, every Christmas her Grandmother would buy gifts for Sara to give to the others, while her mother would do the same for her Grandmother. Since she was at the mall, Sara decided this year she would pick out the presents herself. Of course, there was the problem of money, but Sara had an idea for that too.

Suddenly Sara said, "Leonard, could I talk to you for a minute?"

The two adults looked at each other, then Leonard said, "Sure, Sara."

Penny said, "I'll just look at some store windows," and walked ahead of them.

"What is it, Sara?"

"I was wondering if you would help me buy presents for everybody."

Leonard, surprised, said, "Doesn't someone usually do that with you?

"No, they just buy things for me to give. I want to pick them out this year."

"Okay." Then smiling, "Do you have money to pay for them?"

Sara said slyly, "No, but I get an allowance and I could pay you back."

Leonard, smiling to himself, "That sounds fair, where do you want to shop?"

"I don't know, I don't get a real big allowance."

Leonard called ahead to Penny, "Sara and I have an errand to run. Why don't we meet you at the food court?"

Penny, surprised, but happy they seemed to be getting along so well, said, "All right, I'll be by Arby's."

Leonard took Sara to a nearby map. Seeing they had a Discount Store, he asked Sara if that would be all right. Sara agreed and they went and purchased four gifts. Leonard was pretty sure he would have selected something different, but let Sara make the decisions.

As they left to rejoin Penny, Sara looked up and said, "Thank you Leonard, you're okay, even if you don't get along with horses."

Leonard smiled, "Well, thank you, Sara. But, I am going to be around for a while and I was wondering if you could help me to do better with them."

Sara smiled broadly, "That sounds great, don't worry, you'll learn to like them."

Leonard held out his hand, "Deal?"

Sara took his hand, "Deal."

As Penny headed for the Food Court, she passed a Veronica Secret store. Pausing by the window, she remembered when she would take Leonard to the one in Pasadena and model for him. Suddenly, she felt warm and found herself blushing. Looking around, she quickly moved on.

When Sara and Leonard rejoined Penny at the Food Court, she pretended not to notice the bag they were carrying. "Okay, I think it's time we get Leonard his new clothes."

They spent the next hour spending Leonard's money, but when they finished, he was probably ready for an Arctic expedition. With Leonard already wearing his new stocking cap and gloves, they continued to walk around the mall.

Suddenly, Sara spoke up, "Mommy, could I talk to you."

Amusedly, Penny said, "Sure."

As Leonard smilingly walked ahead, Sara asked Penny, "Can I get a present for Leonard?"

Penny, feeling happy, said, "Of course."

"I saw something at the Discount Store."

So, off again to the Discount Store after telling Leonard to wait where he was.

It was almost six o'clock when they finally were leaving the mall. At the exit, Leonard noticed a pamphlet showing the routes for outdoor Christmas lights tours. Not wanting the day to end, Leonard asked Penny if she would be interested.

Unknown to Leonard, he had brought up something Penny had always enjoyed and after checking quickly with Sara, agreed.

After a quick stop at a Dairy Queen, they proceeded to go on the tour. At nine o'clock, the day became too long for Sara and she fell asleep in her seat.

Penny said regretfully, "I should get her home."

Leonard agreed and they made their way back to the hotel. Managing to get Sara and her seat transferred to the pickup without waking her, Leonard and Penny stood by the truck door.

Penny spoke first, "Thank you for a wonderful day."

Leonard smiled, "Your welcome, but I should be thanking you and Sara." Looking through the window at Sara, he continued, "She really is special, Penny, you've done a wonderful job raising her."

Tearing up a little, "Thank you, Leonard, but I didn't do it alone."

Then she leaned forward and embraced him, pushing her lips against his. Leonard responded and then after breaking the kiss, they held each other for a time.

Pulling her head back, she said regretfully, "I really need to go. Call me the minute you hear anything tomorrow."

"Don't worry, Penny, you'll know as soon as I do."

Disengaging herself, she kissed him on the cheek, saying, "Goodnight, Leonard, thanks again for everything."

"Goodnight, Penny, "it was my pleasure."

Leonard stood and watched until the truck was out of sight. Then headed into the Lobby.

Leonard contacted Penny at eleven o'clock the next morning.

"I just got a call from the Lawyer's office. His name is Henry Thompkins and he'll see us at three o'clock this afternoon. I guess he really does think he owes my brother.

"That's great, Leonard, I'll be at the hotel about two o'clock."

"Now remember, Penny, nothing may come of this."

"I know, but I have a good feeling about it."

They entered the reception area of _Hays, Hays, and Hays_ fifteen minutes before three. Leonard was wearing a suit and tie, while Penny was dressed in a conservative black dress. The room was in somber tones representative of an old Law office, but Leonard noticed the state of the art computer and what looked like a sophisticated communication system on the receptionist's desk.

The receptionist, a pleasant looking lady who looked to be in her forties, asked. "Welcome to Hays, Hays, and Hays, may I help you?"

Leonard moved forward, "I have an appointment with Henry Thompkins. I am Dr. Leonard Hofstadter." Checking her screen, she said, "Yes, Dr. Hofstadter. If you'll have a seat, I will tell Mr. Thompkins you are here."

About five minutes later, Penny saw a man coming down the hall. Her first reaction was disappointment. He was not Gregory Peck or even Perry Mason. He was not much taller than her, had a little paunch, and was bald. Then she chided herself for being so shallow. As he held out his hand and introduced himself, she did notice he definitely had a lawyer's voice.

After they were seated in his office, he went behind his desk and after getting comfortable, said, "Your brother Michael didn't go into much detail. He said you are facing a custody suit?"

Leonard spoke up, "It is actually my friend here who is being sued."

Turning toward Penny, "And what is your name?"

"Penelope Prentis, but everyone calls me Penny."

"Now, I want to make it clear from the start. You are only here because I owed your brother a favor. You understand that I will not be able to take your case. Even if my debt to your brother would have me wish to do so, my firm would not allow it. I know this case is personally vital to you, but is not something we would handle."

Leonard answered, "We understand. It is just that the person suing us has retained a very good lawyer and we were hoping you could recommend someone competent that we could contact. Also keeping in mind that money is a consideration."

"Well, I can probably help you there, although the money limitation will make it more difficult."

"Do you have a copy of the suit? May help me see what is involved."

Penny took the legal papers out of her purse and handed it to him. 'That is the original, I haven't made a copy."

Henry took it and began to read. Almost immediately he looked up. "One of his main points is that you are a stripper. May I ask where you work?"

At 'The Gentlemen's Club'.

Well, that's at least that's a point in your favor. I have occasionally visited there myself and know Doug Cummings through some committees we have sat on." Then he smiled, "You're Randi Rancher."

Penny blushed and looked down as she nodded.

Henry quickly apologized, "I am sorry, Ms. Prentis, I didn't intend to embarrass you."

"It's all right."

He went back to reading. Suddenly he stiffened and reread something. Looking up, he said, "You said they had a very good lawyer. Do you know who this man is?"

Leonard answered, "Yes, I looked him up, he apparently has a great reputation."

"That is an understatement. He normally handles only their biggest cases. Do you have any idea why he would be involved in your case?"

The man suing us is also a member of the firm and comes from a wealthy and prestigious family. Michael surmised that they probably had a large retainer with the firm."

"To get this lawyer, they must be one of their most important clients."

Henry then seemed to be lost in thought.

"It is unfortunate that the money is limited, because it may be possible for you to have the services of an excellent attorney."

Leonard, sneaking a glance at Penny, "It is possible that money might not be a concern."

Henry, noticing the stunned look on Penny's face, said, "I see. Would it be possible for me take this and show it to someone? It shouldn't take long."

With Penny now glaring at him, Leonard hurriedly said, "No, go ahead."

As Henry left the office, Penny turned to face Leonard, "What are you doing?"

"Penny, if we can get a really good lawyer, I want to help out."

"No, Leonard, I can't let you do that."

"Penny, I already feel close to you and Sara. Even if it doesn't work out between us, I want to do the best for Sara. And the best for her is to be with you."

Penny, biting her lip. "I just don't want you to ever wonder if at some point my actions were affected because I felt obligated to you."

Leonard looked shocked. Then, quietly, "I think I kind of understand, Penny, but I would never think that. You know I would do this if even we were only friends."

Penny, tearing up, "I'm sorry, Leonard, I don't know what made me say that. I should know you would never think something like that. This whole thing has me upset and I just…. I am so sorry."

Leonard got up and held her. "It's okay, Penny, there is no need to be sorry. I know I caught you off guard. Penny just hugged him back, crying softly.

Just then the door started to open, and Leonard hurried back to his seat, and Penny got a tissue from her purse.

Henry entered, followed by a distinguished looked man who appeared to be in his seventies or eighties.

Noticing that Penny was dabbing at her eyes, Henry decided was best to just ignore it.

"Dr. Hofstadter, Ms. Prentis, this is Samuel Hays, Sr., the founder of our firm. Leonard rose to meet him, but he raised his hand and said, "Everyone, please just sit down."

As Henry returned to his seat, Samuel held up Penny's legal paper. "Henry brought me this paper because he knew I would be interested that the opposing lawyer is Warren Hampton."

"If you'll indulge me, I would like to tell a small story."

He went on, "About a year ago, our most prominent client was sued for a large amount of money. Now it was not an overly excessive amount, but not a suit they would want to lose. When we looked at the case, we were quite amazed that it had been brought at all. It seemed that, if I may use a sport term, a slam dunk."

"Since we had a large caseload at that time, we assigned one of our junior lawyers to handle it. That turned out to be a huge blunder. The attorney for the other side was none other than our Mr. Hampton. During the hearing, he made an extremely clever argument, one we had not foreseen. Now I want to be clear, that argument in itself should not have affected the end result. If we had used another lawyer, say, Henry here, it would have been refuted. But unfortunately, our young lawyer got flustered and frankly, blew the case."

"As you can imagine, our client was not happy. We were only able to retain them because I had a personal relationship with their CEO and we agreed to pay half the settlement."

"But much worse was the blow to our pride and reputation. Quite frankly, I took it personally. Since then we have been hoping for an opportunity to regain some respect by engaging with Mr. Hampton again. But the opportunity has not presented itself. Until now."

"Frankly, this is hardly the case we would have chosen. But to use another cliché, one cannot look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Therefore, if you are willing, we would like to offer the services of Mr. Thompkins here to represent you. I was assured that money would not be a factor?"

"No, sir," Leonard answered, as Penny nodded her approval.

"Then, I shall leave you in Henry's capable hands. Nice to meet you."

Leonard and Penny rose, Penny saying, "Nice to meet you. And thank you so much."

"You are welcome, young lady, I assure you we will do all we can to see you keep your daughter."

As he left, "Henry, I want regular reports on this."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Hays."

After they all sat down, Penny and Leonard were still in a state of shock at what just happened.

"If you don't mind, I'll have my secretary take a copy of this."

Penny spoke up, "I have another document you need to see. Five years ago, a lawyer from their firm told me that if I didn't sign a paper saying I would not reveal the father's name, never ask for money, and not move away, Brandon would seek custody. They also paid me the sum of $100,000."

Henry, looking surprised, "Really, let me see it."

Penny took it out and handed it to him.

"I'll need a copy of this, too."

He pushed a button on his computer and seemingly immediately, a pretty young woman came through the door. "You need something, Mr. Thompkins?"

"Yes, Helen, will you take copies of these documents and return both the originals and the copies to me."

Taking the documents, "Right away, Sir."

As she left, Henry continued, "Now, we have something necessary to take care of. You mentioned that money was no longer a factor. May I ask how you intend to compensate us for our services."

Leonard spoke up, "I will be responsible for the payments."

"I see. I know this is annoying but necessary. Can you provide us with information that would satisfy our concerns as to your ability to pay?"

"I recently won the Noble Prize and have a bank balance of over $500,000."

"Well, congratulations, seems Michael is not the only intellect in the family. That should be sufficient. I will also need a retainer of $20,000 before we can proceed."

Reaching in his pocket, Leonard took out a check book and began to fill out a check. "Who should I make it out to?"

"Hays, Hays, and Hays, LLC will be fine."

As Henry accepted the check, "I will have Mrs. Davis get you a receipt. Since you are not our client, I will also need you to sign a paper declaring you will be responsible for any future fees."

In the next fifteen minutes, the secretary returned with the papers, Henry returning the originals to Penny. The receptionist brought a receipt and had Leonard sign a paper promising to pay while Penny signed a contract authorizing Hays, Hays, and Hays to represent her.

"There. With that out of the way, here's what will happen next. I will immediately file for a Change of Venue. There should not be any problem with that. I have another client this afternoon and in any case, would like to go over these documents. I have checked my calendar and if it satisfactory for you, would like to meet this Thursday. I should then be able to discuss the case with you and hopefully give you an idea of what I feel our position is and also how it will proceed to trial."

"Do you have any questions?"

Leonard answered, "I don't believe so. Is there anything we should be careful about?"

"No, just use common sense. If you have a question if you should do something, probably better to be on the cautious side until we talk on Thursday."

He then rose and shaking hands with both, said, "See you on Thursday."

Then he gave a little chuckle. Seeing their inquisitive looks, he explained. "I wish I could see the look on their faces when they realize I am representing you."

As Penny and Leonard exited the building, neither could believe what had just happened. For the first time since the papers had been served, and also because of what was happening with Leonard, Penny was experiencing a new emotion. Hope.

 **A/N Once again, thanks to all of you. This is a little longer chapter for me. Just didn't seem to hit a place to stop.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N Still own nothing. If there are any lawyers reading this, or anyone else who can tear my arguments apart, please be gentle with me.**

After calling home to give her parents the good news, Penny and Leonard went out for supper before Penny left for work, parting with an embrace and a quick kiss.

The next morning, Leonard found a new place to stay, then headed out to the farm. While Bridget took Sara and Jeremy to the stables, Penny and Leonard discussed their meeting in more detail with Wyatt and Susan. Everyone was looking forward to the Thursday meeting, but also a little afraid of what they might hear.

Leonard spent some time on the computer with Sara and Jeremy, then, living up to his deal with Sara, went with her and Penny to work with the horses in the afternoon.

Although he was still uncomfortable, he did give Dallas a carrot and did remember gloves and paced himself so he could help with the cleaning. However, he still was not ready for any kind of riding attempts, but did wait until Penny and Sara got back and even helped brush Dallas.

Wednesday was almost a repeat of Tuesday, except Leonard and Penny found time for taking a walk down the horse path, holding hands, and exchanging a more passionate kiss.

That walk did not go unnoticed by the adult members of the family and solidified their growing belief that something was going on between them.

Leonard repeated his previous gains with the horses, even helping to unsaddle Dallas, albeit rather gingerly: alert for any quick moves.

Henry's secretary called on Wednesday, saying the meeting would be at ten o'clock.

Thus, Penny and Leonard found themselves Thursday morning, nervously sitting in Henry's office as he began to speak.

"Before I start, I want you to keep a couple things in mind. First, this conversation is being recorded but is of course protected by client/lawyer privilege. Now, I'm going to say some things that may be worrisome, that may scare you, or maybe even make you angry; but I need you to listen to the whole story before you make any judgements. Also remember that since they are not claiming that Sara is being mistreated or abused, the burden of proof is on them that a change needs to be made."

"Okay, first of all. Penny, I want you to tell me the whole story of your time with Brandon, from the first time you met him until you received the summons. Now remember, don't hold anything back, I need to know the whole truth if I am to help you."

Penny than related the story basically as she had told it to Leonard, being swept off her feet, impressed by his life style, and her reactions to finding out she was pregnant. Then she told about the confrontation when he had ordered her to have an abortion and the subsequent visit by the lawyer and her signing of the Contract. She then described what happened after she got back home, the situation with Bridget and Jeremy, what her father had done, and the path that led her to be a stripper.

"Thank you, Penny. Now from the papers, I understand your brother is in prison?"

"Yes, he has been repeatedly involved in dealing in Meth."

"Do you have much contact with him?"

"Not really. My parents try to visit him once a month or so, but I haven't seen him for a year."

"Okay." Then, he hesitated as if he didn't really want to talk about something.

"I need to tell you that standing on its own as a legal document, this Contract is no good for us."

Penny and Leonard looked shocked.

Hurrying on he said. "If you read it, it makes no mention of anyone suing for custody. On its face, it simply states that you agree to the terms contingent upon receiving $100,000. There is nothing that prevents Brandon from suing for custody."

Leonard and Penny continued to stare at him in shock. Finally, Penny managed to stammer, "You mean this whole five years, what I went through was for nothing?"

"No, Penny, that's not what I am saying. As you just told me, what you were afraid of was that there might be a chance that Brandon would get your baby. And it apparently did stop that. It is entirely possible that if you had not signed the paper, they would have sued. And although it would have been better if you had asked for a document signed by him that he wouldn't, they would have probably called your bluff and made you just sign this anyway. Since your goal was to do anything to keep your baby, you were in a no-win situation."

Seeing Penny had relaxed a little, he went on, "Besides, just because the document itself does not contain the threat, we can certainly introduce evidence that was what occurred.

"First of all, we'll have you testify under oath about what happened. Now, who did you tell about the contract when you first returned home?"

"Just my parents and Bridget. Oh, and my friend Cherie."

"Cherie?"

"Cherie Hudson. She's my best friend in Nebraska. She is also a stripper at the club."

"Good, all of them can testify to it. Now, I realize they are family and friends, but the accumulation will add credence."

"By the way, do you remember the lawyer's name, the one that had you sign the contract?"

"Yes, I don't think I'll ever forget it. It was Morgan Williams."

"Very good. We'll depose him as well. I doubt if he would be willing to perjure himself, especially as we can look for corroborating testimony from other lawyers or Brandon himself."

He went on, "In any case, I think it would be difficult for anyone to believe that you would sign such a paper without some other factor, since you are basically settling for $100,000 when you could sue him for much more."

"Okay, let's assume we can get the Judge to believe us. With the addition of Brandon asking you to have an abortion, we have a definite plus for our side."

Leonard asked, "What if he denies he said anything about an abortion?"

"It will be Penny's word against his. But again, I don't think he will perjure himself for that."

He continued, "Because, you see, this is a plus for us, but it is hardly a fatal blow. In fact, it unfortunately may not have near the impact you would think."

Penny, looking puzzled, I don't understand, "It shows he did not want the baby, and that he used her against me."

"That's true, but it was five years ago. What they need to do is provide a compelling reason for him to have changed his mind. Did you know that he was recently married?"

Leonard answered, "Yes, six months ago."

"From the fact that her name is also on the suit, my guess is that they will say that when she was told about the baby, she was curious and interested enough to see how it was being treated. They will say based on what she found out and told her husband, they decided to file the suit. The real strength behind that argument is that it could easily be true."

He went on, "You have to remember that the overriding consideration of the Judge in this case is the welfare of the child. The current welfare of the child. So, although the contract will help to hit at his credibility and his character; because of the added presence of his wife and the time that has passed, its impact will be diminished. And since there is not a legal document stopping him from suing, there is no defense there either."

Leonard asked, "But, if we do establish that they did say they would sue if she didn't sign, wouldn't that create an oral contract?"

"There is no Quid Pro Quo. They told Penny that if she didn't sign, she risked Brandon suing. They used that as a threat. That is not the same as him saying he would never sue as long as she lived up to the contract. As I said before, she was in a no-win situation. In any case, it still comes back to the current welfare of the child."

"So, let's get to the heart of the matter, and go through their assertions of why they should gain custody. I will give you my opinion as to what their strengths and weaknesses are and what our position will be."

"The first point is that you are a stripper. Now from the straight moral point of view, I doubt it will carry a lot of weight. I don't think it carries the stigma it once did. And besides, we can bring in many witnesses that will show what a solid organization the Gentlemen's Club is and how it treats and respects its employees."

"Having said that, they also make some points about side effects of the stripping that may be harder to deflect. The first is that it provides a poor role model for Sara. Although this is slightly stronger, the fact that she is not directly affected by it and lives apart from it, plus again the fact there is no shame in what you do, I am not too bothered by this one either."

"The third one is subtler and a little stronger. It says that your work hours do not leave you time to be with Sara. They make this point more effectively when they note she is going to school soon and thus your time with her will be reduced. We won't try to defend this one directly, but simply point out that in today's economy, this is a problem for a lot of mothers. We will also point out that she has the support of a loving family and is not alone or with strangers."

"I need to discuss their last stripper point with you. It says that stripping brings you into contact with people who could be dangerous or shall we say, not of the best character. Now, I know for the most part, the employees and customers of the club do not fit this category. Is there anyone that you can think of that they might point to? Any of the strippers?

"Mary is a war widow. Mama has been a stripper all over the world. One thing is that Doreen lives with a guy who pushes her around. I guess the only one that might be on the edge is Juanita. The rumors are she was once a whore in New York who killed her pimp. But that could just be crap because she doesn't really let anyone get close to her."

"Has the man who abuses Doreen ever bothered anyone there?"

"No, he shows up once in a while to watch the show but has never done anything."

"Do you spend much time with any of them?"

"Other than Cherie, I don't think I have ever spent hardly any time with them away from the club."

"Okay, I don't see anything too bad there. But to be safe, I think you should stay away from them outside work and maybe not even real friendly at work."

"Other than Cherie, I assume."

"Yes."

"The next one is a little farfetched. I think they are trying to undercut our defense where we say even if you're not there, she has a family to support her. They are saying your mom and dad are bad parents."

Penny, stunned, "How can they say that?"

"Here are their reasons. One, your brother is in jail. Two, both you and your sister are unwed mothers, three, your father is the reason the family is in financial difficulties."

"That's ridiculous, all of them were decisions we made as adults. And my dad made a bad investment. None of it has anything to do with how they are with Sara. Besides, my sister is unwed because her husband ran out on her. Also, they loved us enough to let us live with them."

"Well, Penny, I think you refuted that one pretty good on your own."

Henry then continued, "The last two are really the same thing, or two sides of the same coin. They say you are barely getting by financially and thus Sara is one incident away from losing her current support. In the same vein, they say you live a very spartan life and Sara is missing out on many pleasures of life. Then, of course, they state how they wonder about her future."

"They immediately follow that up with the obvious point of how much they can offer her. All the opportunities that their wealth can provide her, now and in the future."

"There is of course no real denial of that. But the Court often faces this situation and usually are reluctant to remove a child from a situation she is used to and comfortable with. Where she is loved."

"Some of how this goes may depend on Sara herself. Have you ever talked to her about her father?"

Penny answered, "I have always told her that he was a good man, but we just were better separated."

"That's good. The Judge usually looks down at bashing the other parent to the child."

Henry paused, "Basically, the plaintiff will present a story of a child, that although is not mistreated, is missing out on the best things in life, with an uncertain future. With the added proviso that her mother, although doing her best, is forced into a less than ideal life style. That they can, on the other hand, provide her with a two-parent family, and give her a chance to reach her full potential."

"Our story will be of a mother who so loved her child that she moved away from her friends and former life. That she then made extreme personal sacrifices to save her family's home and provide a loving atmosphere for her daughter."

"Added to that is the fact that he originally rejected his daughter and has only come forward five years later."

"With the added proviso that the court normally hesitates to make changes unless they have a strong reason to do so, I believe we have the stronger case."

Seeing the smiles and looks of relief on Penny and Leonard, he quickly added, "Do not get over confident, though. That just means we have a really good chance. It is almost impossible to forecast how a Judge will react. Also, it will be a while before we go to court. There are several possibilities, although not likely, that could occur to change the picture. One example would be some violence associated with someone from the Gentlemen's Club, another, a negative change in your financial situation."

Then, he hesitated again as if pondering his next move. Reaching a decision, he continued, "What about you two? What is your relationship?"

Penny and Leonard looked at each other. They weren't exactly sure where they were, what should they say to him?

Finally, Leonard tried, "We met nine years ago in Pasadena when Penny moved into the apartment across the hall. We became friends and then for about eight months, lovers. A few months after we broke up, Penny became involved with Brandon and I with someone else. You know what happened with Brandon. I also broke up soon after that."

"I had not seen Penny for five years when we bumped into each other at the mall just over a week ago. Since then, we have discovered we still have feelings for each other and are exploring where they could lead."

"I see. I am relieved that you had a previous intimate relationship, it gives more credence that you could form a relationship so quickly. But the reason I asked about you and Penny was that you are paying her legal bills. To be frank, you do not seem like you belong together. I am afraid it could be construed that the difference in wealth is why you are together. Why are you paying her legal bills, Dr. Hofstadter?"

"I did it because whatever our relationship status, I have always been her friend. I honestly believe that Sara is better off with her and wanted her to have a good chance to win the case. "

"I do believe you, Doctor, but I think in the future we need to be more careful. I think this is where we should err on the side of caution."

Penny spoke up, "You want us to stop seeing each other?"

"No, not at all. I just want you to be careful not to let your zeal lead you to try to improve your financial position by accepting money from Dr. Hofstadter. Remember, we cannot fight that Brandon has unlimited financial advantage. I believe it is more important we maintain the status quo. To maintain the same environment Sara has been raised in. To accept money to try to improve the situation contributes to their contention that more money is what Sara needs. It may also give them an opportunity to take a shot at your character. I think we can explain the lawyer payments because of the obvious advantage the plaintiff had achieved by persuading Hampton to take his case."

He then leaned forward over his desk. "Now, I think we need to wrap this up. I have filed for the Change of Venue. As I said before, I can't foresee any problem with that. I would expect to have an answer before the end of the year."

"Here is how I would expect things to proceed. There will likely be no progress until the Holidays are over. As I have not handled a custody suit for some time, I consulted a lawyer who normally handles them. Her estimate for a trial date would be toward the end of January, for sure not before the fifteenth. Once the trial date is set, then a date will be agreed upon for the plaintiffs to meet with Sara. It will likely take place where they are staying, normally a hotel room. It usually lasts about an hour or so. Each side will have a representative there to observe. For us, that will probably be my second chair, Sally Potter. They will not take part unless something egregious happens."

"It is possible that you and/or your family will be asked to meet with their lawyers, as I will be asking to meet with them and for example Morgan Williams."

"I will of course be present at any meeting to protect your rights and provide legal advice."

"Well, that's about it. Do you have any questions now? You can of course contact me at any time. Here is a card with by personal cell phone on it. Please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions about a situation you are facing."

Penny asked, "Will Sara have to testify or be questioned?"

"Yes, but only in Court and will only be questioned by the Judge. In some trials, the child's testimony can be vital. I do not believe it will be in ours, but one never knows. One thing, do not make any attempt from now on to color her testimony. Parental interference is the first thing that the Judge will try to determine."

Penny asked, "How soon should we tell Sara?"

"You will obviously have to tell before she meets with the Plaintiffs. Aside from that, it is up to you."

"Okay, Is that it?"

Leonard, looked at Penny, who shook her head, "Yes. For now."

"Okay, as I said, don't hesitate to call." He rose and shook their hands as they left their chairs. "I'll let you know about dates, etc., as soon as I hear anything."

Penny said, "Thank you so much."

Henry smiled, "No problem, that is what I am here for. Merry Christmas."

Simultaneously, they said Merry Christmas, as they left.

As they reached and entered Leonard's car and got buckled up, Leonard turned and stated, "I thought that went well. He seemed pretty upbeat on our chances."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Is something wrong, Penny?

"No, I agree it was mostly good news. It certainly could have been worse. Guess I am a little bummed about that contract, although he's probably right, I would have signed anything." She turns to face him. "I just think that this meeting made it all so real. This is going to happen, I could lose Sara."

As her voice broke a little, Leonard reached over and hugged her which she returned. "You just have to believe it will work out. I really don't believe they will take her away from the people that love her and she loves."

They hugged for a while. Penny then sat back and managed to smile. "Thank you, Leonard, you always know what to say."

Leonard had to smirk, "Nice of you to say that, but I remember several times I talked when I should have shut up."

Penny looked at her watch. "We should call Mom and Dad and tell them it went well."

Then she smiled, "Then, do you know what I would like to do? Go to a movie and have supper afterward."

Leonard smiled broadly, "Why, Miss Prentis, are you asking me out on a date?"

She smiled back, "Yes, Dr. Hofstadter, I am asking you out on a date. There is a multiplex at the mall."

As Penny called her parents, Leonard pulled out and headed for the mall.

 **A/N I am afraid that you will think that my thank you to you all each time means it is just something I do. But I do it because I want to keep letting you know how much I appreciate your support and how much I continue to enjoy your input.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Still not making any money.**

As Leonard sipped his coffee the next morning, he thought back over the previous day. The movie and supper afterwards had been fun. It was nice to just do something simple. To take their mind off everything for a while. The good night kiss had been nice too.

But now he thought back to the meeting. Although he had been cheered by what Henry had said, Penny's remarks had brought home to him what she was going through. He also realized he wished he had followed up with Henry on exactly what the current status of the contract was, although he did believe he understood. Perhaps he should discuss it with Penny to get her take, and then if they still had questions, they could get back to Henry.

When he had heard that the trial was likely to occur in January, it had made his mind up about something he had been contemplating. He wished now he would have done it when he decided to settle for staying until the end of the year, but knew it would probably really upset Sheldon. But now he knew there was no way he was going to leave before the trial. And he also admitted to the fact that even without the lawsuit, he needed to do whatever he could to be sure he gave his relationship with Penny a full chance to develop. Besides, he thought ruefully, he just enjoyed being with Penny and Sara.

With just over a week to Christmas, he also needed to find a place that would enable him to get two laptops set up to his specifications. If he was in California, he would have several options, but wasn't sure what was available in Omaha. He could get Sheldon to do it, but wasn't sure there was time to get it done and get them shipped even with paying an arm and a leg.

In any case, between talking with Sheldon and Dr. Siebert, and obtaining the laptops, he was not going to have time to go to the farm. And although Penny would quickly figure out what he had done when he brought the presents at Christmas, he wanted to at least try to keep it as a surprise as long as he could.

He quickly dialed and heard Penny answer, "Hello,"

"Hey, Penny, this is Leonard."

"I know, Leonard. Are you on your way?"

"That's why I'm calling. I have some things I have let go that I need to work on. I'm afraid I won't be out today. Please tell Sara I'm sorry to miss time with the horses, but I will be there tomorrow."

"Okay, Hofstadter, how did you find out?"

Leonard, confused, "Find out about what?"

"Don't give me that. Who told you? I'll bet it was Dad."

"Penny, I don't have any idea what you are talking about."

"Right. It's just a coincidence that the first day you don't come to the farm is the day we officially start getting ready for Christmas week by cleaning the whole house."

Trying not to sound happy, "Believe me Penny, it is just a coincidence. No one told me. Do you really think any of you would warn me?"

Mollified, "I suppose not." Then, slyly, "Sure you can't wait to do your stuff tomorrow. Wouldn't want you to miss a Prentis family tradition."

"As bad as I feel about it, I really need to get this stuff done today."

"Yeah, right. Okay, but you owe me one." Then, quietly, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Penny. Tell everybody Hi and I'll see you tomorrow."

"I will. Goodbye Leonard."

"Goodbye, Penny."

Leonard's brief good feeling after his talk with Penny faded as he prepared to call Sheldon, especially as he knew he was in the wrong and was making it difficult for Sheldon. But, there was no way he was leaving Penny alone in the current situation with Sara and with the status of his relationship with Penny.

Sheldon answered on the second ring, "Ah, Leonard, why do I feel I will not be pleased by this conversation."

"Because you won't, I have decided I need to stay in Nebraska until at least the end of January and perhaps longer."

"No, Leonard, that is not satisfactory. We both agreed we would get back to our research last week. You have already disrupted the schedule once. While I was willing to postpone for a short time, this is not acceptable."

"I'm sorry Sheldon, but I am not ready to leave Penny and Sara at this time. I'm just getting to know Sara and renew my friendship with Penny. I have spent the last couple years working constantly. I'm now going to take some time for myself."

"It's always you, isn't it Leonard? How about me? What about our research? I am fully prepared to move forward. Have you forgotten we have arranged with Dr. Siebert to make use of resources at Caltech? No, Leonard, I have humored you long enough. You need to end this nonsense and return at the end of the year."

Leonard took a deep breath and counted to ten. He really couldn't fault Sheldon. He more than anyone, knew how Sheldon hated to have his plans disrupted; especially those dealing with his research. He wished now they had told Sheldon and the others about the lawsuit, but wanted to be sure Penny agreed before he did so. But he could tell Sheldon part of the truth of why he was staying.

"Everything you say is true, Sheldon, but what I haven't told you is that Penny and I realize we still have feelings for each other. I'm not sure where it will end up, but I have to do everything I can to try to make it work. Besides, I am also getting to know Sara. Perhaps we can compromise. You can start on the next stage and when you have something done, send it to me and I will work on it with you. Please, Sheldon, try to understand how important this is to me."

After a long hesitation, "All right, Leonard. My feelings for Amy have made me realize how necessary they are to me. I must say I doubt if it will work any more this time than it has in the past, but I believe I understand what Penny means to you. Do you wish me to let Dr. Siebert know?"

"No. I am the one causing the problem, I'll talk to him." Then quietly and with feeling, "Thank you, Buddy, I know this was hard for you."

"Your welcome, Leonard. I do believe though, I will take you up on your offer. I will try to get some data to you soon."

"Okay, Sheldon. Say Hi to Amy and Isaac for me."

"I will, Goodbye," slight hesitation, "and Leonard, good luck."

"Goodbye, Sheldon."

Leonard hung up, thinking again how much in some ways Sheldon had changed. But then he mused that for the most part, if you got past his being obnoxious, he had always been a decent friend.

The discussion with Dr. Siebert turned out to be anticlimactic. It was apparent he was taking no chances on jeopardizing the prestige of having two Nobel winners associated with the University.

Leonard spend the greater part of the rest of the day finding someone to build the two laptops. When he had everything arranged to his satisfaction, and a guaranteed ready date of no later than Tuesday of the next week, it was almost four o'clock. Deciding it was too late to try to arrange to see Penny before work, and remembering how she had spent her day; he decided to just have supper at the hotel and watch some TV.

Leonard arrived at the farm at ten o'clock the next morning. After getting some heat from the others for missing the previous day, he was told he had been picked for the next tradition. He would be the one to accompany Wyatt to cut down their Christmas tree. When they assured him he would not be handling the axe, he agreed to take part.

They had barely left the farm when Wyatt turned to Leonard and said, "Okay, Leonard, what's going on between you and Penny?"

Caught a little off guard at how quick and blunt the question had come, Leonard hesitated for a time and then said, "We both realized we still have feelings for each other. We are trying to figure out exactly what they mean."

"I am glad to hear that, but I have to say, you two drive me nuts. Why don't you just admit you were made for each other?"

"I wish I could be sure of that, Wyatt. More than you know. But we just have to work it out on our own."

"I suppose. But I just see how she looks at you when you are with Sara. I don't have any doubts how happy that makes her."

Leonard felt a smile form and wondered if he should just accept what Wyatt said. Were they making it too difficult? But then he remembered how he felt when Penny said she couldn't love him and knew they needed to proceed as they were.

After that, the conversation turned to more mundane topics.

Back at the farm, Penny and Susan were having their own discussion at the kitchen table.

Taking a sip of her coffee, Susan asked, Okay, Penny, what's going on with you and Leonard?"

Luckily, Penny was not taking a drink of her coffee or she might have spit it up. Stalling by taking a big gulp from her mug, she finally answered.

"From the moment I saw Leonard at the mall, I realized I still had feelings for him. When I got the courage to tell him, he told me he still had feelings for me as well."

Just then Bridget came in and interrupted them asking. "Is there any coffee left?"

Susan answered, 'On the counter. Where are the kid's?"

"There in there watching Sponge Bob. As she sat down with a cup, she asked, "What are you two talking about?"

Susan smiled, "Penny just told me she and Leonard still have feelings for each other."

Pretending to look surprised, "Really, never would have guessed from the way they make goo goo eyes at each other."

She then continued, "So, how serious is it?

Penny took another sip and said, quietly, "We really don't know. We're just kind of feeling our way."

Susan spoke back up. "is there something wrong, Penny?"

"No. Actually, things are going great. It's just, I have messed up so many times, I don't want to screw this up. I just don't want to hurt him again."

Susan looked at Bridget sadly and continued, "Oh Penny, you won't. Don't let your fears stop you if you know what you want."

"I just don't know if I can be what he needs, what he deserves."

Bridgette reached out and took her hand. "We all believe you are, Penny, but I guess you're right, you guys have to figure it out on your own. Just remember, we're here for you."

Tearing up, Penny answered, "Thank you, guys."

Then they all stood up and had a group hug.

It was hours later when Wyatt and Leonard returned. They parked as close as they could get to the front door and hauled their prize into the living room. As the others all came in, they were shocked to see that Leonard looked like he had just been through a war.

Penny rushed over to him and carefully put her arms around his shoulders. "Leonard, are you all right, what happened?"

Wyatt spoke up, "Well it turned out we had to walk quite a distance this year to find a good tree. The snow had drifted pretty deep in spots. After we cut down the tree, it was quite a struggle dragging it back to the truck. Leonard was a real trooper but between the tree and the snow, he fell down a few times and once the tree kind of slid back on him."

Penny saying "Poor baby," gave Leonard a quick kiss on the mouth, which was noticed by everyone, including Sara. Then she said, "You better get out of those clothes, there all wet; and take a warm shower. You can use my room. Mom, I think some of Randall's stuff would fit him."

Two hours later, everyone was back in the living room, admiring the tree that Wyatt had got set up. Leonard was nursing a hot mug of coffee, sitting close to Penny, wearing some sweats that Penny's brother had worn, which were only slightly too big for him. His clothes were in the dryer.

Susan spoke up, "It's a beautiful tree, you guys did good." Seeing Leonard kind of roll his eyes, she continued, "Don't feel bad, Leonard, it's not your fault you had to walk so far this year. It's not an easy job, especially when you're not used to the snow."

Bridget added, "She's right, we're all proud of you, Leonard."

Obviously still not completely convinced, Leonard muttered, "Thank you."

Penny spoke up, "I'm probably not going to be able to help much decorating the tree before I have to go to work, but you guys can go ahead."

Wyatt said, "No, we want you involved, we can wait until tomorrow."

Then Leonard spoke up, 'Not sure if this is a good time, but I want to let you all know that I have decided to stay at least through the end of January."

Everyone was stunned, then smiled broadly. While Penny hugged him excitedly, Wyatt said, "That's great news, son."

After Penny let him go, Susan added her hug.

Leonard then turned to Sara, "Now you'll have plenty of time to get me on a horse."

Sara giggled and said, "We're going to need it."

As it quieted down and everyone started to move around, Leonard said quietly to Penny, "Can we talk?"

Penny nodded and spoke up, "Can you guys excuse us, Leonard and I are going up to my room, we have something we need to discuss."

A chorus of "Okay, sure."

After they were seated on the bed, Leonard started, "I just wanted to clarify something in my mind about the meeting with Henry yesterday. Wanted to see if you got the same indications I did."

Penny felt herself feel a little disappointed. She knew there was no reason she should've been expecting something more personal, but still felt a little sad. But she quickly recovered and answered, "Okay."

"From what I understood, the contract is still in effect. But I think that some things you were nervous about doing are now not a problem. I think you still can't sue him for child support or other financial help. Although, it might be worth testing that after you get custody of Sara. For now, though, since he has revealed he is the father, I see no problem in us having normal communications with the gang, and thus no problem having them coming down to see you."

Penny perked up, "Oh, that would be great. I would just love to see them. Especially Bernadette and Amy." Then, after a moment, "I think we need to tell them everything when we do tell them they can come down. But I still would like to wait till after New Year's."

"I agree." Then Leonard had to smirk, "How about Howard and the Gentlemen's Club?"

Penny smiled back, "I think I can assure you Bernadette will see to it that won't happen!"

Then, as Leonard made a motion to get up, Penny said "Not so fast." Then she slid over and putting her arms around him, gave him a big kiss, moaning as he responded and his tongue intermingled with hers.

After a time, they moved back, Penny, refocusing, "That was nice." But then quickly rising, "But I think we better go."

Leonard, still a little lost in the moment, "I think your right."

But, then he leaned back in and gave her a small kiss. "You are so beautiful."

Blushing a little, Penny said, "I missed you, yesterday."

"I missed you, too."

Then realizing they were still very close together, they both pulled away and straightened themselves up.

As they were leaving the room, Penny said, "Oh, I wanted to tell you. I want you to come with me to the Club Christmas Party next week."

Seeing the look on his face, she got a little angry and said, "Strippers can't have a Christmas Party?"

Leonard, hurriedly, stammering, "Of course, I just…"

Penny smiling, "I guess it does seem a little strange." Then she smirked, "Of course, we have a company picnic in the summer too."

She went on, "They invite families to the picnic, but just employees and a plus one to the Christmas Party. Actually, it's really pretty dull as parties go. We all have to work afterwards so no one can get too drunk. The big event is the handing out of the Christmas bonuses."

The next day Leonard arrived at his usual time. He was immediately called into the living room to help with the decorating of the tree.

When they finished, he went with Sara and Penny to work with the horses. Although he was much more comfortable with them, he still did not feel ready to ride one. In truth, he was afraid of embarrassing himself. But he did take part in every other task, including saddling Dallas on his own. For their part, the horses seemed more comfortable with Leonard as well.

When they returned to the house, they found everyone was bundled up and ready to go sledding. Seems one of the nearby farms had a couple of slopes that the owners opened up to their neighbors. Wyatt had already loaded several what are called Flying Saucer sleds in the back of the pickup. Usually they also had to put blankets in the back so some of them could ride back there, but since Leonard had his car, everyone could ride in comfort this year.

While Susan and Wyatt took the pickup, the rest rode with Leonard. Penny sat in the front seat while Bridget sat in the back with the two kids in their booster seats.

As they arrived and everyone piled out, Leonard felt his usual nervousness at trying anything physical. Noticing there was quite a crowd and that it seemed there was a wait for your chance to go down, he thought maybe he could beg off, giving his spot to someone else. But Penny had other ideas. When their time came, she told him to sit on the sled and then she sat behind him putting her legs around him and hugging him from behind. Then before he knew it, they were hurtling down the slope. Unfortunately, no one had bothered telling him how to control the sled to stop or even slow down and Penny had to tip them over to prevent them from crashing into the piles of snow below. They tumbled together, ending up in a jumble of arms and legs. As soon as Penny determined they were both all right, she had to laugh as they struggled to untangle.

As their second turn came around, Sara saved Leonard from deciding whether to try it again by asking him to go down the children's slope with her.

When they returned home, while the women made a late lunch, Leonard, Wyatt, and the kids went into the living room. Leonard had brought his computer and found a children's movie on YouTube. As she was working, Penny snuck a look into the living room and saw Leonard and her dad engrossed in a conversation while the kids watched the movie. She couldn't help but smile as she felt how normal and natural this seemed.

After everyone had eaten and the men had cleaned up, Penny, Leonard, and her parents sat in the kitchen while Bridget and the kids played with the computer in the living room.

Penny explained her work schedule for the Holidays. Christmas being on a Sunday was not exactly great for the club since Saturday was usually their big night. Since Penny usually got both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off and this year Christmas fell on her normal day off, she was going to be paid an extra day pay based on an average day in December including tips and percentages.

Since New Year's was on a Sunday, she would again get the extra day pay. But with New Year's Eve falling on a Saturday, that was expected to be one wild night. Doug was already planning on hiring extra security.

The Christmas Party was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the club.

They finished off Sunday by singing Christmas Carols. Leonard was relieved to find out that Penny's voice was not indicative of the rest of the family. In fact, he was surprised to find that Bridget could sing very well.

After putting Sara to bed, Leonard and Penny walked out in the yard and looked up at the stars. Then Leonard turned to Penny, "This was wonderful, Penny. As you know, my family never celebrated Christmas." Then shyly, "You all made me feel that I belonged."

Penny felt her heart beat faster, she wanted to say, "You do belong with us," but wasn't exactly sure how he would interpret it. Instead she said, "I'm glad, Leonard, we all enjoyed you being with us."

They engaged in a long, gentle kiss until Penny finally pulled away, waved goodbye, watched until he was out of sight, and then returned slowly to the house.

 **A/N Hope that I really do let you know how enjoyable this all is, due to your interest and input.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N Still not mine.**

After the hectic activities of the weekend, Monday was a return to normalcy. Leonard spent his usual time with Penny and Sara working with the horses, still doing everything but not yet taking the plunge. He and Sara then played games and visited websites on the Computer. Sara would often sit on his lap for easier access to the keyboard. Leonard noticed that Jeremy no longer seemed interested. He wondered if he had made a mistake in buying two computers. As he reflected on it though, he realized that when Jeremy and Sara had both been with him, it was apparent that Sara was a much quicker learner. She was also beating Jeremy repeatedly at the games they played. Perhaps when he had his own computer, he could move forward at his own speed.

Leonard himself was impressed at how Sara took to the computer. He had come to really enjoy their time together. He realized how quickly being with her had become a part of his life. While he had only known her for a short time, he felt at home with her. The best part of the day though was when Penny was with them, either with the horses, when she joined them for a time on the computer, or when they would occasionally take a walk together.

He knew he was in danger of committing himself again, of putting his heart out there, but he decided he didn't care, that whatever happened, he wanted to do this, to be with them as much as he could. He also knew that it could hurt Sara if he and Penny didn't get together, but he also knew he would always try to be there for Sara and Penny whatever happened.

Penny stood in the kitchen and watched as Leonard and Sara were seated at the computer. Sara was sitting in his lap, her face a study in concentration. Then she would notice when Sara would giggle and the way Leonard smiled at her. She felt her heart beat faster and found herself smiling happily.

She knew she needed to be careful though, that as much as she was caught up in how Leonard and Sara were together, she needed to realize she and Leonard's future still rested on how she could resolve her fears and doubts about how she felt. There was also the question of what Sara's feelings were for Leonard.

Later that afternoon, Penny took Leonard aside.

"I wanted to talk to you about the Party tomorrow, to give you a little heads up on who will be there."

"You already saw Mama, she's just a good person." Then smirking, "Be careful if she tries to hug you. You might just disappear."

I can't wait for you to meet Cherie, but I better not catch you spending a lot of time looking too closely at her, especially her legs. Her new man Dave will probably be there too. He's a CPA and is really quiet." Smirking, "They're about as odd a couple as we are."

Seeing him about to protest, she continued, "Just kidding, they're not near as odd as we are."

Leonard tried to glare at her, but failed miserably.

Penny smiled and leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Then there's Mary Crowly, as I told Henry, she lost her husband in Afghanistan. She has two kids and is really nice."

"But then there's Doreen. She herself isn't too bad, although she and Zack would really get along. But her boyfriend will probably also be there. We all know that he treats her badly up to physically hurting her. Aside from that he is a big jerk both mentally and physically. The only good news is that he is afraid Doug will let Doreen go if he messes up, so he is usually on what for him is good behavior."

"Then there's Juanita. We already talked about her in Henry's office. There is a chance she may not even show up. If she does, she usually doesn't try to mingle."

"I'm also glad you will get a chance to meet Doug. He really is a good guy. His wife will probably be along. She somehow manages to let everyone know she doesn't approve of Doug owning the Gentlemen's Club and still be nice."

"As far as the others, except for maybe Mike the security guard, I don't really know much about them. I do know one of the bouncers once played football for Nebraska and that some of the hostesses are college girls."

"Oh, and I did mention Barbara to you. You and she might have something to discuss. Like I said, she is really smart."

Leonard, who had been listening quietly, then spoke up, "I was thinking, Penny. I don't know if you were planning to mention it, but I would rather that my being a Nobel Prize winner did not come up."

"Why not? I am proud of you and wanted to show you off."

"It's just, I am not comfortable being the one to mention it. It just seems, I don't know. Maybe it's because when Howard came back from the space station he was so obnoxious about it. Whatever the topic was, he would bring it back to his trip. Could you just humor me on this?"

Penny, disappointedly, "Okay. Oh, I told Cherie, I better call her and give her a heads up. But I am going to let everyone know you have a Doctorate."

"All right, but let's just say I teach at a college. I really don't want to spend time explaining what an Experimental Physicist is."

Penny, a little sadly, 'I guess, but you really need to be prouder of what you did, and who you are."

"I am proud, Penny, but just don't think it necessary to bring it up at a party with people I don't know."

"Okay, but I have to admit, I hope you don't have a choice. Maybe someone will recognize you."

"Everyone will probably be more interested in what you are doing with me."

"Actually, Leonard, I think now they may be more interested in what you are doing with me."

She then hesitated. "Leonard, is it okay if I just introduce you as my friend?"

"Sure, Penny, if that's what you want. Our relationship is really none of their business."

The next day, Leonard went to pick up the laptops and was gratified to find they had done an excellent job. Stopping at the mall to have them Christmas wrapped at a charity Kiosk, he drove to the hotel and stored them in his room. Since the party was casual, he just cleaned up a little and left for the Gentlemen's Club. Since the employees usually stayed after the party to clean up, and then went to work, he and Penny had decided to drive their own vehicles and meet in the employee parking lot.

Leonard arrived about fifteen minutes before the party was scheduled to start, but there was no sign of Penny. He called her and found she was held up by an accident backing up traffic. He sat and waited, watching as others arrived and went through what he assumed was the employee entrance. Finally, Penny arrived five minutes late. They walked across the parking lot and entered the stage door.

They were greeted by Mike Hayward, "Hi Penny, was getting afraid you weren't going to show up."

"Yeah, I got held up by traffic. Mike, this is my friend Dr. Leonard Hofstadter; Leonard, this is Mike Hayward, the security guard."

'Nice to meet you Dr. Hof…"

"Just call me Leonard, nice to meet you, too."

Penny, spoke up, "Are you going to be stuck here, Mike?"

"No, Doug just said to wait a half hour and then lock up. If any one comes after that, they'll have to call the security number and I'll come down and let them in."

"Okay, good, we'll see you later."

They walked down the hall and into the dressing room.

"Welcome to the Cattle Call."

"Clever name."

"Yeah, we go through here."

They passed through the side door and entered the main room.

Leonard noticed the larger tables had been covered with tablecloths and that what appeared to be caterers were setting up on the other side of the room. To his right was what appeared to be an open bar with several people lined up to get drinks.

After getting rid of their coats, they saw Barbara coming up to them. Evidently she was doing the greeting for the party as well.

"Hello, Penny, glad you could make it."

"Yeah, sorry were late, I got held up in traffic."

"No worries, we're just getting started." Turning to Leonard, she looked a second and then said, "You are the two-seater who sat with Penny a few nights ago."

Leonard, looking a little surprised, "Surprised you remembered."

"I don't get all that many hundred-dollar tips, and besides, I had the feeling I had seen you somewhere before."

Penny said, "Barbara, this is my friend Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, Leonard, this is…"

Barbara interrupted, putting her hand up by her mouth, "My God, of course, I knew I recognized you. You just won the Nobel Prize for Physics!"

Leonard, looking stunned, "Actually, I shared it with Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Frankly, I'm shocked anyone would recognize me."

"I never miss the awards. I have a Math degree from Columbia, but I also had a second major in Physics."

Then she turned and called out, waving her hand, "Doug, come over here, I have someone I want you to meet."

Leonard, feeling a little embarrassed, watched as a man broke free from a group he was talking to and came across the room, with presumably his wife beside him. Meanwhile, Penny was standing there with a big grin on her face.

As Doug came up, he said, "Hi, Penny."

Penny answered, "Hi, Doug."

Doug then looked inquisitively at Barbara and then Leonard.

Barbara continued, "Doug, I'd like to introduce you to Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, who just won the Nobel Prize for Physics, Dr. Hofstadter, this is Doug Cummings, owner of the Gentlemen's Club and his wife Kathleen."

As both Doug's and his wife's eyes widened, Leonard quickly spoke, "Just Leonard, please, and it's a pleasure to meet you both."

Doug spoke up, "I have never met a Nobel Prize winner before, I'm not sure what to say. Guess Congratulations to start. Don't they do that in Norway or somewhere?"

Leonard answered, "The peace prize is in Norway, the others are in Sweden."

After a slight pause, Doug continued, "Are you from Nebraska, Leonard?"

"No, I live in California, I work at Caltech. A couple of former colleagues of mine invited me down to look at a project they were planning."

Then Kathleen spoke up, "Penny, how did you meet Leonard?"

Penny answered, "We're old friends, I used to live across the hall from him and his roommate in California."

Then Doug spoke up, "Okay, I think that's enough questions. It's an honor to meet you, Leonard. Come on Kathleen, we better get back to the rest of our guests."

Leonard saw them walk back to a group of people. He watched Doug talk to them and everybody turned to look at him.

Penny tried to stop grinning, "Sorry Leonard, but that's the cost of fame."

"Yeah, just my luck to run into probably the only person in Nebraska who would recognize me."

Just then, Cherie and Dave come up to them. Cherie spoke up, "Well, at least I didn't blow your secret. It's nice to meet you at last, Leonard."

After returning her greeting, because of the statement Penny had made, Leonard couldn't help but look at her legs. Encased in a pair of tight jeans, he could see what Penny had meant. Then he got a nudge from Penny and blushing a little, looked away.

Cherie, smirking a little, said, "Leonard, this is my boyfriend, Dave."

Dave obviously a little awed, "It's an honor to meet you."

Leonard answered, "Please, let's not make a big deal out of this. I'm glad to meet you, Dave."

Cherie went on, "Okay, no more Nobel stuff." Then she said, "Hey, you guys don't even have a drink yet."

Penny spoke up, "You're right, come on Leonard, I need a glass of wine."

Cherie went on, "We're going to mingle a little. See you later."

After they had gotten a wine for Penny and a beer for Leonard, they stepped away from the bar and almost ran into Mama. Leonard, remembering what Penny said about the hug, instinctively stepped back.

Penny spoke up, "Hi Mama. Mama, this is my friend, Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, Leonard, this is Georgina Brown."

"Just call me Mama. So, this is the man of the hour."

Leonard spoke up, "No man of the hour, just Leonard, I saw your act the other day, you were amazing."

"Well, thank you, sir, I hope you caught your girlfriend's act too. She's about the best student I ever had."

Leonard smiled at Penny and said, "Your obviously an excellent teacher, but you did start with a beautiful subject."

Blushing a little, Penny was wondering whether to correct Mama saying girlfriend, when Mama said, "Could I talk to you for a minute, Penny?"

"Sure, Mama. I'll be right back, Leonard."

They walked over by the door to the Cattle Call. Mama spoke up, "Okay, Girl what's going on? How did you get hooked up with a man like him? I know you would never do anything wrong."

"I used to live across the hall from him in California. But Mama, we're not hooking up, we're just friends."

Mama laughed, "And I am a size 8. Don't try to snow me girl. I see how you act around each other. There is definitely something going on."

Penny was stunned, what was she talking about? Was it that obvious? 'No, Mama, I don't know what you think you see, but we are just friends."

Shaking her head, Mama smiled, then dragging out the words in a monotone voice, "Okay, nothing is going on, you are just friends."

Blushing slightly in spite of herself, Penny returned to Leonard.

As she came up to Leonard, he asked, "What was that all about?"

"Mama thinks there is something going on between us."

"What make her think that?"

"I don't know, she said just the way we act around each other."

Leonard smirking, "She must have caught me leering at your ass."

Penny, at first startled, then seeing his smirk, "Well, I guess I can't blame you for that. It is pretty awesome."

Chuckling, they had started to head back toward Cherie, when Doreen and a man who looked like a fatter, meaner, version of Kurt came up to them.

Looking Penny up and down, "Hey, Penny, aren't you going to introduce me to your big shot friend?"

Penny, looking away in disgust, said, "Leonard, this is Jack and Doreen, Jack, Doreen, this is my friend Leonard."

Leonard, upset about how he was acting around Penny, muttered, "Jack". Then a little more cordial, "Hi, Doreen."

Doreen spoke up, excitedly, "Doug was telling us about you. I didn't really understand exactly, but it sounded like a big deal."

Then Jack glared at her and she shut up, shrinking into herself.

Jack then said, "Someone was saying you made a lot of money from this. Something like a million dollars, is that right?"

Leonard tightly, "That's right, but I split the money with my colleague, who worked on the theory with me."

Then turning to Penny and leering again, "Well, Penny, I guess that explains what he's doing with you. What services do you provide?"

Penny, about ready to kick him in the balls, was alarmed when she saw Leonard step forward, his fists clenched.

Leonard, speaking through gritted teeth, "I know you can kick my ass, but you're going to have to. No one talks like that to Penny."

He was so angry, that Jack stepped back instinctively before recovering and said, "Take your shot, little man, and then I'm going to hurt you."

But then, Howard, one of the regular bouncers, came up to the group. Although he was about the same height as Jack, where Jack was showing quite a bit of flab, Howard was nothing but pure muscle. Smiling, he said, "Evening folks, just came over to meet Doctor Hofstadter. Staring at Jack, "I assume everything is okay here, is that right, Jack?"

Jack got a sullen look on his face, but then looked down and stepped back, "Everything's fine, Howard. Come on Doreen, let's get a drink."

Howard turned to Penny and Leonard, who were recovering their composure, "Penny, do you want me to discuss this with Doug?"

Penny, who although she had enjoyed watching Jack have to back down, was afraid it was Doreen who would end up paying for it. She didn't want to make things worse for her or get her fired. So she answered, "No, Howard, let's just forget it." Then looking into his eyes, "Thank you."

He smiled, "No problem." Then turning to Leonard, "It really is an honor to meet you."

Leonard answered, "Thank you."

Howard then smiled and walked away, nodding to Penny.

Penny got close to Leonard, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Penny."

She smiled fondly at him, "It was exciting to see angry Leonard, but you really could have gotten hurt."

"I know, Penny, but I couldn't let him get away with how he treated you."

Not caring who saw, she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.

Cherie, who was heading their way, smiled broadly and said, "Get a room."

Penny blushed, and then seeing it was Cherie, just smiled back.

The rest of the party was anticlimactic. After Penny and Leonard mingled for a while, Doug announced the food was ready and everyone sat down at a table. Mary joined Cherie and Dave with Penny and Leonard. They spent most of the meal talking about kids and a few of the more innocent adventures of Penny and Cherie. Penny did find herself a little jealous when some of the college girls came up to the table to get Leonard's autograph. She slid over a little closer to him and gave them a pointed look.

The only small excitement left was when Juanita finally arrived and sat at the table with Jack and Doreen.

Doug then finished up with a speech about how the Club had a successful year and it was due to the work and talents of his employees. He then handed out three checks. The one for the bonus and two for the extra day pay checks.

As the party wrapped up, Penny walked Leonard back to his car.

Leonard smiled and said a little sarcastically, "Well, that was fun."

Penny smiled back and said, "Yeah, a real blast."

Then Leonard smirked and said, "That guy's name is Howard?"

Penny chuckled and said, "Yeah, the first time I met him I almost said, you can't be a Howard."

She then turned serious and said, "Thank you for standing up for me. And whatever you say, I'm glad they knew about the Nobel. I like it when everyone knows how special you are."

Leonard said quietly, "As long as you and Sara think I'm special, that's enough for me."

Tearing up, Penny said, "Oh, Leonard," and crushed her lips and body to him.

Afterwards, she smiled and said, "I'd better get back. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Penny."

After seeing him drive away, she walked back toward the club. As she did, she found herself remembering how she had felt when she had seen Leonard and Sara the day before, the way Leonard had stood up for her, the way she had felt just now; she wondered what was holding her back. What more did she need? What was she afraid of? Angry at herself, she asked, 'What the hell is wrong with me?'.

Sighing, and composing herself, she entered through the door.

 **A/N Thanks again for your input. It really does help me to think about my story. You guys have so many interesting ideas and views.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N Still doesn't belong to me.**

 **To bfm: That's kind of neat about Brandon, but it is just an interesting coincidence. I was going to answer you with a review, but I didn't want that to be my 100** **th** **one :)**

Penny had been experiencing a loss of concentration at work all night. She even messed up her strip routine, but doubted that any of the audience really noticed. All night her fellow workers had come up to her to talk about Leonard. Although none of them actually came out and said it, it was apparent to her that the overwhelming majority of them wondered how she was with him. She was sure at least a few felt it wasn't because of friendship or any kind of mutual attraction.

As she was getting ready to leave, she could tell Cherie would like to talk, but she just wanted to go home.

All the way home, she found her mind running a mile a minute, filled with conflicting and confusing thoughts. After she got into bed, she tossed and turned, unable to settle her mind to get to sleep. Finally, she gave up and sat up in bed. Deciding she needed to try to organize her thoughts, she went downstairs, made some coffee and returned to her room.

Sitting on the bed and sipping from her mug, she thought back to the night she had been unable to tell Leonard she loved him. She remembered how happy she was in the moments before he had spoken. She remembered how she had felt about him. From the first time she met him, there had been something between them, he was her first male real close friend.

She did not dump him because she did not have strong feelings for him. It was even possible she loved him. But when he said those words, she just panicked. She knew it was different than when others had said the same words to her before. She also knew that her saying them would mean more to Leonard, too. It would mean commitment; she was not ready for that. That was not her, that was not the Penny she thought herself to be. She was Penny, a free spirit, a soon to be movie star.

She broke up with him because she didn't know when or if she could say them back. Even though Leonard said he was okay with her not saying them, she knew those words would always be hanging there, even if he never said them again.

Although they regained their friendship, she often was reminded of how she regretted what she had done, but knew she was still not ready to say them.

There was the girl's night when Amy asked her how she would feel when someone else discovered what a great guy Leonard was. She had to leave the room because she did not want to admit how it made her feel.

Then there was the night with Zack that Leonard invited them up to the roof. One thing that struck her was how Leonard was patient with Zack, refraining from taking a shot at him even though she could tell he was hurting a little. The rest of that night she just wanted to forget. She had hurt Leonard again, but she had to smile a little to herself, the sex had been awesome.

But most of all, there was the second time Leonard saw her with Zack. That time, he could not stop himself from making fun of Zack, but he was also the one who felt bad enough to apologize. When he later came into her room on New Year's, ostensibly to get her to be Wonder Woman, she suddenly felt how it would be if they were going as a couple. She had to catch herself before she said something she would regret. When Zack kissed her and she saw the look on Leonard's face, she couldn't help but think of what might have been.

Then there was Priya. It had hurt even more than she would have expected. And when Leonard clumsily let her know that Priya wanted her to stay away, she knew she needed to move on.

When she met Brandon, it was like it validated her letting Leonard go. It was kind of a response to Priya. She let herself believe it all had worked out, that this was the kind of man she should be with, the kind of life she should live; while at the same time, Leonard was now with a beautiful, intelligent woman that was much better suited for him.

Coming back to the present, Penny took her mug and walked over to the window looking out. When she had seen Leonard at the mall, she realized that her feelings for him had never really left her. That she had wanted to try again.

Things had been going great for them. She could feel they were reconnecting. She was so thrilled about how he and Sara were getting along, the way it felt like he was part of the family. And the kisses! The cat was definitely alive.

Then, why was she afraid? She had told her Mom that she was afraid she would hurt him again. She also said she was afraid she couldn't be what he deserved, that he was too good for her; but Leonard had told her he had feelings for her. If he was willing to put himself out there again, after he was the one who had been hurt, didn't that mean she was the one he wanted? If he was sure he wanted to try, that he wanted a lasting relationship, who was she to not to open herself, to take a risk, too.

She realized she had been acting like a martyr. Worried more about how she would feel. Worrying about feeling guilty for hurting him again. Afraid that she herself might be hurt. Wallowing in self-pity that she wasn't good enough for him.

No, the only thing that mattered was how she felt about him. All that mattered was that she believed she could answer him this time. She needed to take the chance. There were no guarantees.

She remembered when Cherie had urged her to tell him how she felt, she had said that otherwise she would regret it the rest of her life. That was even more true now. Ever since that night she had not answered him, she had a sense of regret that she couldn't. This time, she had to go all in, this was her last chance.

She left the window and sat back on the bed. Looking at her watch, she saw it was five-thirty, everyone would soon be getting up.

She knew that even if they did find out they did love each other, there were a lot of obstacles to overcome. Where would they live? Would Sara be happy somewhere else? What about her family? She had to smile to herself at the last one. If she didn't do this because of worrying about them, the way they felt about Leonard, they would disown her.

She just felt that if they did get together, they would be able to figure something out. As long as the three of them were a family, it would work out somehow.

Suddenly, the 500-pound gorilla that had been sitting in the corner joined her on the bed. The lawsuit! She had somehow managed to put that out of her mind for a time. Who knew how that would affect things? What would Sara think and feel when her Father suddenly had a name, a face? How would it affect her when she found out that he wanted her to live with him after she had wondered why he didn't want her? How would she react to the fact she was going to meet him? How would such a meeting affect her?

Those answers could affect how Sara felt about Leonard, maybe even how she felt about Penny herself. Penny realized that those things needed to be resolved before she and Leonard could move forward even if they did get together.

Sadly, she sat back. But, she did know, that whatever happened, she knew Leonard would be there for them, no matter what it meant for all of them.

Shrugging off her sadness, she decided that all could wait until after the Holidays. She wasn't going to let it ruin Christmas. Especially not for Leonard and Sara. Deciding she finally might be able to sleep, she lay back on the pillow. Soon, she mercifully fell asleep.

When Leonard arrived on Wednesday morning, Penny went out to greet him. "Hey, Leonard."

Surprised, but happy to see her meet him, "Hi, is something up?"

"No, I just want to apologize for not introducing you as my boyfriend yesterday."

Still a little surprised, "That's okay, Penny, as I said, they don't need to know."

"I just want you to know, I'm proud to be your girlfriend."

Leonard, smiling, "Thanks, Penny. I am proud of you, too."

Penny leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, then linking arms with him, they went into the house.

After Leonard hung up his coat, they entered the kitchen to find Sara studiously working in a coloring book. Looking up, she smiled and said, "Hi, Leonard. Look, I'm staying between the lines. Well, most of the time."

"Hi, Sara." Walking over he looked over her shoulder. "Wow, good job."

"Do you want to color with me? I'm doing the horse, but there is a dog on this page."

"All right, but I don't know if I can do as good a job as you."

Leonard sat down and began to color.

Just then Susan came through the door, "Oh, hi, Leonard."

Leonard looked up, "Hi Susan."

As Leonard and Sara continued to color, Penny and Susan sat down and talked. That is how Wyatt and the rest of the family found them a few minutes later.

Seeing Jeremy looked a little upset at being left out, Leonard said, "Sara, do you mind if Jeremy finishes my picture? I want to talk to your mom."

Sara, seeing the look on Jeremy's face, said resignedly, "No, that's fine."

Leonard took Penny up to her room. "Listen, I've decided I'd like to try riding Dallas today with you holding the reins and walking him. Do you think I'm ready?"

Penny smiled, "That's great, Sara will be so excited." Then, smirking, "You're as ready as you'll ever be."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"I'm just jerking your chain, you'll be fine"

As Leonard got up to leave, Penny said quietly, "Leonard, could you just hold me for a bit?"

"Of course, but is something wrong?"

"No, I just feel like snuggling a little."

Leonard sat down and put his arm around her, as she nestled into him. Leonard wasn't sure what made Penny more affectionate today, but he wasn't about to complain.

After the horses were both saddled, Leonard announced he wanted to ride Dallas. Sara's eyes widened and she exclaimed, "That's great, Leonard. Are you sure?"

Leonard quickly added, "I _s_ till want someone to lead her."

"Okay. Mommy, can I lead Dallas?"

Penny smiled, "Sure, Honey, I'll lead Daisy and you can ride her back."

Now was the moment of truth. As Leonard prepared to try to mount, Dallas seem to grow taller. Taking a deep breath, Leonard put his foot in the stirrup and attempted to swing his leg over. After failing twice, he wondered if this was a good idea. But Sara just said, "It's okay, Leonard, you'll make it this time."

Penny came up behind him. "Here, I'll help you." As he swung his leg, Penny gave him a push on his cute tushy. She almost overdid it and put him over the other side, but he managed to grab the saddle horn and keep himself in the saddle.

Sara, smiling broadly, "See, Leonard, I knew you could do it."

Leonard managed a weak smile as he looked down from the horse.

Sara grabbed the reins and told Leonard, "Hold on to the saddle horn." She then started down the path, Dallas walking slowly behind her; Leonard still looking a little uncomfortable. Penny followed, leading Daisy. By the time they reached the end of the trail, Leonard felt more at ease but his rear end was getting a little sore.

Leonard said, "If you don't mind, I think I'll walk back."

Penny said, "Wouldn't you rather ride with me?"

As Sara mounted Daisy, Penny told Leonard to take his feet out of the stirrups and slide back a little. She then swung herself up in from of him. Telling him to put his arms around her waist, she started slowly back down the path. Telling Sara she could go ahead, she continued to ride slowly, smiling as Leonard tightened his grip, noticing his arms had slid up to touch the bottom of her breasts. Even with their coats on, Penny found herself riding even slower.

But when Sara came riding back to see what was taking so long, she sped it up a little.

When they got back to the house, after shedding their coats, Sara rushed into the kitchen and finding everyone there eating, announced with a big smile, "Leonard rode Dallas today!"

As Leonard and Penny followed her in, everyone smiled and called out congratulations. Leonard looked a little sheepish and said he just sat while Sara led Dallas. They quickly came back that it was still a big first step and he be riding before he knew it.

Susan then asked if they were hungry and getting an affirmative reply, had them set down while she dished them up some of her famous chicken stew.

After lunch, Wyatt mentioned that it looked like a cold front was going to move in by Christmas Eve day. They were talking about below zero temperatures at night and highs in the single digits during the day. He had decided he had better cut some more firewood. In spite of his previous adventure, Leonard agreed to go along. It turned out to be much easier task and they soon returned with the back of the pickup loaded.

Wyatt then had an idea. "Leonard, with the bad weather coming, why don't you plan to stay over Christmas Eve? You really don't want to be driving early in the morning with temperatures below zero." Everyone quickly agree what a good idea that would be, especially Sara and Penny.

Leonard, who had not been looking forward to being out in that kind of weather, quickly agreed.

When Penny got to work that night, she got Cherie aside and told her to nonchalantly spread the news that Penny and Leonard were actually girlfriend and boyfriend. Then she apologized to Cherie about running off the night before and asked her what she wanted to talk about. Cherie just said she wanted to tell her not to let the others get her down about Leonard; but it looked like Penny already had it under control.

The next day Leonard rode Dallas the same way, but was able to mount without any help, albeit on the fourth try. On the way back, Penny had to smirk as she noticed Leonard's grip had slid upward a little bit more right from the beginning. Telling Sara she could go ahead and unsaddle Daisy, Penny rode slowly back.

It turned out that Friday was the day for another Prentis tradition. It was baking day. Penny, Bridget, Susan, and Bobby's mother Emma spent the day baking cookies and pies for both families. Wyatt and the kids went over to be with Bobby's father George, and his sister Cindy. In normal winter weather, they would have to find something to do inside, but with the warm weather holding, they were able to spend much of the day riding. Wyatt invited Leonard to join them, but Leonard had got the first of some data from Sheldon and decided it was a good time to live up to his part of the bargain.

Christmas Eve Eve was usually a pretty dead night at the Gentlemen's Club, but since it was a Friday and they would be closed on Saturday, there was an unusually large crowd. Doug had his own Christmas tradition that was dreaded by the strippers. One of them was chosen, at random, excluding Mama, to wear an elf costume to strip, to Christmas music yet! In her five years at the club, Penny had managed to avoid it and did so again. To her chagrin, Cherie was chosen. Everyone gave her a hard time, but they all agreed, she was one sexy elf.

As Penny sat at her station, ready to head out, Mama came by. "Merry Christmas, Penny."

"Merry Christmas, Mama. What are your plans?"

"I am going to visit my sister in Sioux City. It's kind of a reunion, she just moved back to the States from England."

"Well, that sounds great, have a good time."

"Thank you. How about you, are you going to see your Nobel friend over the Holidays?"

"Leonard. Yeah, he pretty much spends all his time with us."

"I'm glad, Penny, I think he's lucky to have you."

"Thank you, Mama, but I like to think we're both pretty lucky."

"Well, see you Monday."

"Goodnight, Mama."

Cherie then came up to her and handed her a small wrapped package. "Here, Penny, I got Sara a little something for Christmas."

"Thanks, but you didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I am kind of bummed I'm not going to see my niece this Christmas. They all went to visit my Grandmother in Boston. Even my folks went. I just don't have the time or the money to fly back and forth."

"So, it will be just you and Dave."

Cherie looked down. "Dave and I kind of broke up."

"Oh My God, what happened?"

"I didn't tell you, it bothered him that I was a stripper; but we kind of let it go. But I guess it finally got to him. Today he said he wanted us to continue, but made it clear he wanted me to quit. I decided I didn't really need the hassle."

Giving her a quick hug, "I'm really sorry, Cherie." Then after a few moments, "Say, why don't you come out to the farm on Sunday? You know my folks would love to see you and it's been a while since you've seen Sara."

"You're sure they won't mind?"

"No, but remember Leonard's mine."

Snickering, "Don't worry, as I've told you before, I know better than to cross someone who starred in Junior Rodeo." Then sincerely, "Thank you, Penny."

"No problem. See you Sunday."

"Are you heading out?"

"Yeah, let me get my coat."

As they headed for the door, they noticed Juanita came through the side door and sat down at her desk. As they went by, she acknowledged them with a nod.

Once in the hallway, Penny said, "You know, I have never seen her with anybody, not even at the picnic or the party."

"You going to invite her to the farm, too?"

"No, I hate to say it, but my lawyer said to avoid her as much as I can. Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, she sometimes scares me a little."

"You're not the only one. Hi, Mike"

"Hi Guys, you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

As they reached their vehicles, they exchanged Merry Christmases and Penny headed for home.

 **A/N I continue to be amazed by the interesting and insightful reviews I get. I also want to thank my other readers as well. I appreciate you all.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N Still owned by Bill and Chuck**

Taking two trips, Leonard took his duffel bag containing some clothes and toilet items to stay overnight, his laptop, and the two Christmas wrapped Laptops down to his car. He put the bag and the laptop on the front seat and the two packages in the trunk. He had talked to Wyatt on the phone the night before and he had agreed to help Leonard sneak them into the house and hide them until Leonard would then put them under the tree after everyone had gone to bed.

When he arrived at the farm, he found everyone in a flurry of activity. He was quickly informed that they were going ice skating later in the day, an announcement that didn't raise the usual fears of a physical activity in Leonard; he actually had ice skated before.

Penny asked if he minded, that because of the need to give the horses a good workout because the cold weather coming would mean it would be harder to exercise them in the next few days, she and Sara were going to work with the horses alone. With the temperature already beginning to drop, Leonard was glad to agree.

After Penny and Sara left, Wyatt and Susan said they had to go to the store to get some last-minute groceries for dinner. They were going to take Jeremy with them. They told Leonard that Bridget had gone over to visit George and Emma and would appreciate it if Leonard would stay and tell her that they would be back soon. Agreeing, Leonard decided this was an opportunity to get the laptops into the house. After they left, Leonard retrieved the laptops from his trunk and put them under Wyatt and Susan's bed, as Wyatt had suggested.

When Bridget returned, she found Leonard sitting at the kitchen table, sipping coffee from a mug with his laptop open in front of him.

"Hi, Leonard, where is everybody?"

Looking up, Leonard answered, "Penny and Sara are with the horses. Your Mom and Dad took Jeremy with them to the store to pick up some groceries."

Bridget nodded and pouring a cup of coffee for herself, sat down at the table across from him. Leonard realized this was the first time he had been alone with Bridget. Although he could see some family resemblance, especially around the mouth and eyes, Bridget was quite different physically. Where Penny was slim, Bridget was more full-figured. Her hair was brown and hung down to her shoulders. She was pretty, but not as pretty as Penny; of course, he was biased.

His thoughts were interrupted when she spoke up, "Leonard, could I ask you something?"

A little nervously, "Of course, what is it?"

"Why did you let Jeremy take your place coloring the other day?"

Leonard thought rapidly, 'Why would she want to know that. Did I insult Jeremy?' Deciding it was best to just tell the truth, "I thought he looked like he felt he was being left out."

"Have you felt that way other times?"

In for a pound, "Yes, several times it seemed like he felt bad that I was doing things with Sara. Like I was stealing her from him."

"I thought so. Actually, you had it backwards. He was feeling bad because of you."

"Me?"

'Yes, he was envious because Sara's Mom had a man Sara could interact with while he didn't."

Leonard was a little confused and stammered, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Relax, Leonard, I'm not blaming you, I just wanted you to understand where he was coming from." She then took a sip. "My ex-husband, Carl, was really a nice guy. But when I got pregnant, he felt trapped. Between wanting to do the right thing, and well, my dad can be a little intimidating, he agreed to marry me. And I have to admit, for a while he really tried to make it work. But he always felt I had forced him into it and resented me and Jeremy. After he abandoned us, I came to live here. As he grew up, Jeremy really came to miss not having a father. But then, when Sara got old enough, they became inseparable. After all, they both had a father who apparently didn't want them. But then you came and suddenly Sara had someone who Jeremy and Sara could see her Mom obviously cared for. Suddenly Jeremy was the one left out again."

Leonard now wondered how Bridget would feel that he bought Jeremy a computer. Would it just make it worse for Jeremy? Would she think he just did it because he felt sorry for him? Was he overthinking again?

"Uh Bridget, I just wanted to let you know, I bought both him and Sara a computer for Christmas. If you think it's too much…."

Stunned, Bridget interrupted him, "You got him a computer! Wow, that's wonderful. He's going to be so excited. And he really has missed not having one for school."

Leonard, relieved and happy, suddenly realized what she said and without thinking, blurted out, "Jeremy goes to school?"

Bridget looked inquisitively at him, "Leonard, he's seven years old, why wouldn't he be in school?"

Leonard, now embarrassed, realized how stupid he'd been. Based upon what Penny had told him, Jeremy had to be somewhat older than Sara. Stammering, he said, "But he hasn't gone since I've been here."

"They had a problem with the furnace at his school. Instead of doing a temporary fix, since it was so close to Christmas vacation, they decided they would replace it and let them out a week early. They'll have to make it up in the spring. He goes back to school on the third."

Then Bridget turned serious. "Leonard, I may be speaking out of line, but I hope you know how much all of us are pulling for you and Penny. We just know you two belong together."

Leonard, quietly, "Thank you Bridget, that means a lot to me."

Just then they heard the back-door open and soon Penny and Sara entered the kitchen. Penny looked a little surprised at seeing just the two of them there. "Where's Mom and Dad?"

Meanwhile, Sara had kept going, through the doors and into the living room. It was apparent from her actions she was heading for the bathroom.

Leonard answered, "They went into town to the store and took Jeremy."

Looking a little nervous, Penny asked, "What have you guys been talking about?"

Bridget smiled as she got up and headed toward the living room, "I was just telling him what a slut you were in High School."

"Bridget!" Penny yelled, but Bridget had already fled.

As she turned angry and embarrassed toward Leonard, He smiled and said, "We just talked about Jeremy."

As he saw her relax, he couldn't resist adding, with a big grin, "And how you were a slut in High School."

Seeing his grin, she hit him on the shoulder. As he cried out, "Ow, that hurt," she smiled back and said "The word is 'Popular'."

Just then Sara came into the kitchen and said, "Sorry I didn't stop, I had to Pee."

Penny said, "Sara!"

Sara looked perplexed, "Went Potty?"

As Leonard and Penny struggled not to laugh, Penny said, "Best thing is to say nothing."

As soon as the rest of the family returned, Susan put the turkey in the oven and everyone got ready to head for ice skating. Again, since they had Leonard's car, no one had to bundle up in the back of the truck. The indoor rink was about an hour away.

When they arrived, everyone rented skates except Jeremy and Sara, who had their own. When everyone was ready, they met by the side of the rink. Sara spoke up first, "Can I skate with Leonard, Mommy?"

Leonard answered, "It's been a while since I did this, why don't you let me find out how I am doing first. I don't want to fall a lot when I am with you. Let me find my legs and then we can skate together."

Sara, a little disappointedly, "Okay." Then pushing out on to the rink, "Come on, Jeremy."

Penny talked to Leonard, "This is one place where Jeremy really shines. They're hoping they can get him in a Youth Hockey League in a few years. Why don't you start out with me? I'll be there to pick you up if you fall."

Penny took his hand and they started out. Leonard was a little wobbly at first, but managed to only fall once. As they started to get a rhythm, they looked for the others. Wyatt and Susan were together, like two people long accustomed to skating together. Bridget was with the kids, but it was apparent they didn't need any help. Although Leonard didn't know all that much about skating, he could see why Sara, although she looked good, was not at the same level as Jeremy, who looked like he was born on skates.

After a bit, Penny and Leonard returned to the gate. Immediately, Sara skated over and asked if Leonard wanted to skate now. With Penny smiling, Sara and Leonard joined hands and skated off.

Soon after they left, Penny heard someone call out to her. Looking up, she saw Donnie Taylor skating toward her. She and Donnie had gone steady for the last part of her junior year, before she finally hooked up with Kurt.

"Hi, Donnie."

Donnie smirking, "Been a while since I've **seen** you. Still stripping I assume."

"Yeah, still there."

"Who is that with Sara?"

Penny was about to say boyfriend, when she decided she didn't want to mess with Donnie's probable smartass remarks, so feeling a little guilty, she said, "He's an old friend of mine from California."

"He's kind of nerdy looking."

"Actually, he has a doctorate in Physics and is really smart." Penny wanted to tell him Leonard had won a Nobel prize, but remembered that Leonard didn't seem to want to let it be known.

"How did you meet him? Seems a little out of your normal circle of friends."

"He was my neighbor. I'm going to join my sister. Was good to see you, Donnie." With that, she skated off.

Leonard was skating with Sara and saw a good-looking guy skate up and talk to Penny.

"Sara, do you know who that is with your Mom?"

Sara looked over, 'Oh, that's Donnie, he's an old friend of my Mom, they went to school together."

Leonard was about to answer, but then he suddenly felt short of breath. With the cold and the skating, he realized he had overexerted himself. He headed toward the fence that surrounded the rink. Reaching it, he stopped and leaned against it. Sara, who still had hold of his hand, looked at him with fear in her eyes.

He pulled out his inhaler, pumped it, and started to suck it in. Sara's eyes widened as she asked, "What's that?"

As he finished up and felt better, he turned to reassure Sara. "It's called an inhaler. I sometimes need it to help me breathe."

With fear in her voice, "Leonard, are you sick?"

"No, Honey, I'm fine."

Just then Penny, who had saw them go to the fence, skated up with Bridget and Jeremy. She asked, "Leonard, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, I just needed to use my inhaler."

Seeing the worry on Sara's face, Penny spoke to her. "Don't worry Sara, Leonard's okay. It's just sometimes he gets a little short of breath. He'll be fine now."

Penny continued. "Let's get you back to the gate."

Penny and Sara held his hands as they made their way slowly back to the gate, the others trailing behind. When they got there, they saw Wyatt and Susan heading their way. As they arrived, Wyatt spoke up, "What's going on? Is everybody all right?"

Leonard, feeling a little embarrassed at all the attention, "I just got a little short of breath because of my asthma. I used my inhaler and I'm fine now. I'll just sit in the chairs here and you can all go back to skating."

Susan spoke up, "We were just about to quit anyway. I need to get back and check on the turkey."

With Leonard still feeling guilty, they returned their skates and headed for their vehicles. Penny smiled and felt a little teary as Sara came up and grasped Leonard's hand.

By the time they got back home, the temperature had dropped to five degrees above zero. As they went into the house, Wyatt announced he needed to get the fireplace going. As he turned to bring in some firewood, Leonard offered to help him. Before the others could say anything, Leonard insisted, saying he was fine. Leonard wanted to do it because he didn't want Sara to continue to think he might be sick or something wrong with him. Giving in, Wyatt agreed and they went to get it.

Wyatt soon had a good fire going and everyone gathered in the living room. Susan then broke out apple cider for everyone and they sat and talked for a while. Leonard set up the laptop in the kitchen for Sara and Jeremy to play games.

Later on, Susan called Penny and Bridget to the kitchen to prepare supper, while Wyatt announced that _Charlie Brown's Christ_ mas was on.

While the women continued to work on supper, Sara sat next to Leonard on the sofa, while Jeremy sat on Wyatt's lap, both of them engrossed in the movie.

When supper was ready, everyone sat around the kitchen table and ate way too much. After supper, Bridget and Wyatt went out to be with the horses. It was too cold to go for a ride, but they cleaned their stalls and changed their food and water, also checking to be sure the stable heater was working.

The rest lazed in the living room, while Leonard set up the computer to play Christmas music.

It didn't take long, in spite of their attempt to fight it, for the food and the long day to catch up with Sara and Jeremy. They crawled up into their mother's laps and were soon fast asleep. Bridget and Penny carried them up to their room, got them in their pajamas, and tucked them in. When they came back downstairs, Penny signaled to Leonard to follow her back upstairs. They went into the kids' room and looked at Sara sleeping.

Leonard said, "She looks like an angel." Then, after hesitating and looking at Penny as if he had made a decision, he said, "I love her as if she were my own."

Penny felt herself tearing up. Her heart was beating in her chest. She grabbed his hand and said, "I have a feeling she feels the same way."

In that moment, she knew she felt something deep for Leonard, but she knew it was tied up in the way she felt for how Leonard and Sara were together, and needed to step back from it to determine her feelings for Leonard separate from Sara.

That didn't stop her from leaning in and kissing him softly on his lips.

When they came back down, Susan was bringing Leonard pillows and a comforter. She said there were already clean sheets on the sofa bed. She then wished them good night and headed upstairs. Bridget, mumbling something about see you in the morning, sleepily followed her mother. Wyatt told them that he was pretty sure he had the fire built up so it would last until morning; but if Leonard noticed it was dying, he could add a log or come and get him. Then saying his goodnights, he started toward the stairs. When Penny turned, though, he gave a thumbs-up to Leonard telling him he had put the laptops behind the tree. He then continued upstairs.

Penny sat on the couch and motioned for Leonard to sit next to her. She then pulled the comforter up over them and leaned into Leonard's shoulder. Entwining their fingers, they sat and watched the flames, occasionally stealing a quick kiss until Penny fell asleep. Leonard sat there happily with the woman he loved beside him, looking back at his best Christmas Eve ever. Eventually, he also fell asleep.

Penny really never knew what woke her, but when she looked at her watch, she knew she needed to go up and get to bed. Awakening Leonard, she gave him a final kiss and made her way upstairs. Away from his and the fireplace's warmth, she put on her flannel pajamas, brushed her teeth, and quickly feel asleep.

Leonard opened the sofa bed, arranged the pillow and comforter, stripped to a T shirt and his boxer shorts and soon followed everyone to sleep.

Leonard awoke, shivering. Looking at the fireplace, it looked like the flames were way down. Getting up, he put on his glasses and went to look. Wondering whether he should awaken Wyatt, he decided he could at least try on his own. Remembering what Wyatt had done, he picked up one of the logs and tossed it on the fire. To his gratification, the flames increased.

Looking at his watch, he saw it was five o'clock. Deciding he might as well get dressed before anyone else got up, he went into the bathroom on the main floor. Although there wasn't a shower, he cleaned himself up, did his morning absolutions, and got dressed. He had just finished stacking the pillows and comforter and closing up the sofa, when he heard steps on the stairs.

Jeremy and Sara, still clad in their pajamas, came into the living room. Looking surprised for a moment like they had forgotten he was there, Sara smiled and said "Merry Christmas."

Leonard smiled back and said, "Merry Christmas, Sara; you too, Jeremy."

Jeremy said, "Merry Christmas," then looking around, "Did Santa come?"

Leonard said, "I was sleeping, but why don't you check?"

They ran over to the fireplace and took down the stockings hanging there. Excitedly, they emptied the contents. Leonard saw some small toys and a snow globe.

"Merry Christmas," Wyatt said as he came off the stairs with Susan just behind him, both of them still in pajamas and robes. "Looks like Santa made it."

Sara held up the snow globe and shook it, "See what I got, Grandpa."

"Very pretty, Sara." Then he walked over to them, "Let's see what else you got."

Susan walked by, "Good morning, Leonard. Think I'll make some coffee, how does that sound?"

"Sounds great, need any help?"

"No, that's fine."

Soon, Penny and Bridget came down the stairs. Penny had changed into shorts and top, putting her robe on over them, showing her legs. Bridget also was wearing a robe. Penny sleepily said, "Why do we have to get up so early? Is there any coffee?"

Leonard smirked, 'Merry Christmas, Sunshine. Your Mom's making some coffee."

Penny just glared at him and headed for the kitchen.

Bridget said, "Good morning, everyone."

Leonard and Wyatt answered, "Good morning."

Penny came back from the kitchen, carrying two mugs. She gave one to Leonard and took a sip out of the other. "That's better. Merry Christmas, Leonard."

Leonard smiled and took a sip. Amazing what coffee could do for Penny. He also had to admit she looked great, he hadn't seen her in her robe for a long time, it brought back lots of memories.

Sara spoke up, "Can we give out presents now?"

Susan, coming in from the kitchen with a mug in her hand. "In a little bit, Sara, I'm sure your Grandpa and Bridget would like to wake up a little too. Do you kids want anything?"

Shaking their heads no, they sat on the floor and tried to be patient.

Wyatt and Bridget headed toward the kitchen, "Just let us get a cup and we can get started."

About fifteen minutes later, everybody was situated. Wyatt spoke up, "Ok, let's open the presents from you kids first."

As Sara and Jeremy hurriedly took their presents and gave them out to the others, it was apparent that Sara had not only picked hers out, she had wrapped them too. Some of them seemed to have more tape than wrapping. But upon realizing how much more Sara had become involved because she had been able to pick her presents out while Jeremy's had been bought for him as previous years, they decided that tradition was dead forever and both kids would have a say in the future.

They opened Jeremy's first and showed their usual enthusiasm so he would not feel any more left out.

Then, they started to open Sara's. Bridget was first and received a mug entitled 'World's best Aunt.'

Wyatt was next and got a mug entitled, 'World's best Grandpa."

Bridget, smiling, mouthed to Penny when Sara was looking the other way, "I think I see a pattern."

Penny forced herself not to smile and motioned for Bridget to be quiet.

Everyone had to struggle to keep quiet though, when Susan got 'World's best Grandma.'

Penny then opened hers, being sure she wouldn't give anything away when she got her expected mug. Instead she was stunned to see she had a necklace with a small red heart pendant. Of course, it had no real value, was just a plastic heart, but the surprise of it being something so different and nice, and perhaps with what had happened in Sara's room the previous night with Leonard, she surprised everyone, including herself, by almost breaking down. She found herself tearing up and hugged Sara, saying, "Thank you, Sara, it's beautiful."

Bridget, tearing up a little herself, came over and said, "Here, Penny, let me help you put it on."

She then put it around Penny's neck and fastened it. As everyone told her how great it looked, Sara just sat with a huge smile on her face. Then suddenly she jumped up and said, "I almost forgot, I have something for Leonard."

Grabbing the present, she took it over to Leonard. Smiling, Leonard opened it to find a mouse pad with the Logo of the University of Nebraska on it. Sara said, "Now, you're a Cornhusker like us."

Leonard, obviously moved, gave Sara a hug and said, "Thank you, Sara, I love it."

With everyone finally pulling themselves together, Wyatt spoke up, 'Okay, think it's time for the kids to open theirs."

Leonard immediately was reminded that this family did not have a lot of money to spend. Wyatt and Susan both gave them clothes, something they would have bought in any case. Bridget evidently was the seamstress in the family as she gave a homemade dress to Sara and a homemade shirt to Jeremy. He started to feel a little guilty, afraid his gifts would show theirs up. He also remembered what Henry had said about being careful on spending money. Then he had an idea he hoped would help a little.

Sara was stunned when she opened her present from Penny and saw the Komfy Kelly doll. Beaming, she turned to Penny, "Oh, thank you Mommy, I love her," as she gave the doll a big hug. Then carrying the doll, she ran over and hugged her mother. Then, she turned to Leonard, "Look what I got."

Leonard smiled and said, "She is really beautiful."

Jeremy then opened his and was excited at receiving an _Etch a Sketch_.

Inwardly though, Leonard cringed. She got him that when he was going to give him a computer. Catching Bridget's eye, he could see she was amused by it.

Deciding it was time, Leonard got up and went behind the tree where Wyatt had put the packages back against the wall. He carried them out and put them on the floor in front of the fireplace. Then he called Sara and Jeremy over. "These are for you, but I would like you to share them with your Moms, and Grandpa and Grandma. OK, go ahead."

As Sara and Jeremy realized what was inside, their eyes got big as saucers. As Sara pulled out her pink one and Jeremy his blue one, Sara exclaimed, "A computer! Lifting it up for Penny to see, "Look, Mommy, Leonard got us computers". Jeremy held his up to his mother as well. Then, they both jumped up and rushed him. He picked them both up as they gave him a hug and thanked him. All the adults were just smiling happily.

As Leonard sat them back down, he told the kids he would help them get everything set up in just a little while.

Then, the adults exchanged presents. Once again, there was little of interest, although there was some imagination for the amount of money they had to spend.

Then, when they were done, Susan spoke up, "Okay, let's all get dressed and we can have some hot cinnamon rolls."

As everyone was getting ready to move, Leonard announced, "I have one more present." He then went to his bag and pulled out a wrapped package. Moving over to Penny, he gave it to her. "Here, Penny, this is for you."

Penny, a little stunned, stammered, 'But I didn't get you anything."

That's all right, I just noticed this will be something you will need when you start talking to the gang again."

Penny opened it and saw a new smartphone. She had been using an old cheap flip phone since she had moved back to Nebraska.

She smiled broadly at Leonard, "Thank you, Leonard, thank you," and then impulsively grabbed him and gave him a much bigger kiss than she had done in front of the others before. This caused Sara to smile.

Penny stepped back, blushing, but everyone just smiled and started to go get dressed.

 **A/N Thanks again. You guys just continue to make my day.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N Still not mine.**

After everyone had gotten dressed and finished eating some homemade Cinnamon Rolls, Leonard set up the new laptops on the kitchen table. Then as Jeremy and Sara sat in seats in front of the computers, Sara holding on to her Komfy Kelly doll, the others all gathered around to watch.

Leonard demonstrated features of the operating system loaded on the computer and discuss some of the applications that were loaded on it. Everyone seemed interested and joined in. Susan was talking how she could store her recipes and other stuff on it. Wyatt saw opportunities to make use of a spreadsheet for inputting data about the truck garden and egg sales. The kids were getting a little impatient to have the computers to themselves.

Leonard also brought out a loose-leaf notebook where he had recorded all the information and contacts for the various maintenance contracts he had purchased and other products that required payments. He told them he had paid everything in advance for two years.

He then told Penny he had done something similar for her phone.

As everyone was thanking him, they heard a car pull into the yard. Penny went to the window and saw Cherie's Mustang park next to Leonard's rental car. She turned and said, "It's Cherie."

Then she realized she had forgotten to tell Leonard that Cherie and Dave had broken up. "Leonard, everybody, Cherie just broke up with her boyfriend, so don't mention anything about boyfriends, okay?"

Looking surprised, everyone nodded.

Penny then went through the kitchen door and met Cherie as she came through the outside door. Cherie was so bundled up, you could hardly see any part of her face. As she started to shed her clothes, she said, "Crap, it's cold out there."

Finally getting everything off, Penny saw she was wearing a Christmas sweater and more conservative slacks then she normally wore. "Well, come on in and get warmed up."

They entered the kitchen where Cherie exchanged greetings and then Sara spoke up, "Look Cherie, Leonard bought me and Jeremy computers. Mine's pink."

Cherie walked over and looked, "Wow, he must be a pretty nice guy."

"He got Mommy a new phone too."

As Penny held it up, Cherie said, "Well, welcome to the twenty-first century."

Penny answered, "It wasn't that bad."

Cherie smirked and said, "If you say so."

Then she turned to Leonard, "Guess it's a good thing you got her that, but now it will be really hard to avoid her."

Just then Penny remembered she had forgotten to give Cherie's present to Sara. Oh well, now Cherie could to it herself. Opening her bag, she pulled Cherie aside and handed it to her. Cherie glared at her a minute and then turned back toward Sara.

"Sara, I saw this in a store and thought of you," handing her the present.

Sara quickly opened it and took out a small transparent glass horse figurine. "Oh, it's pretty." Then holding it up, she said, "Look, Cherie got me a horse statue."

Penny quickly said, "Please be careful with that, why don't you thank Cherie and take it up to your room."

"Okay, Mommy." Giving Cherie a quick hug, she said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Honey."

Then Sara went out the door to the living room.

Cherie turned to Penny, I can't believe how much she's grown since I last saw her."

Penny nodded and then said quietly, "Cherie, could I talk to you."

Cherie nodded, but then said, "Do you have any coffee or something to warm me up?"

"Yeah, of course. Here, let me get you a cup." Pouring a mug, she gave it to Cherie and then announced, "Guys, Cherie and I are going to have a quick talk. We'll be back in a little bit."

They went out through the living room, passing Sara, hurrying back the other way.

Sitting on the bed, taking a sip, Cherie said, "What's up?"

"You remember the night after the party when I didn't want to talk to you?"

"Yeah."

"I was just so upset and angry with myself. Things were going great with Leonard, but I still was all messed up and just couldn't decide what was wrong with me that I was still so uncertain about us. I didn't even introduce him as my boyfriend. Well, I went home but I couldn't sleep. I finally gave up and had a good talk with myself. I was finally able to put my doubts and fears behind me. I decided all that mattered was how I felt about him."

As she paused, Cherie commented, "So, that's why you had me tell everyone you were boyfriend and girlfriend the next day." Then looking at Penny, "That's all good, isn't it?"

"Yes, but then I thought of that damn lawsuit and what it could do to all of us. How it could change everything." Tearing up a little, Penny continued, "Yesterday, I was thinking about something we should do different next Christmas and it suddenly hit me that Sara might not even be with me next Christmas. Hell, she might not be here for her next birthday."

Cherie put her cup down, and slid over next to Penny and put her arm around her. "I know it's tough, Baby, but you got a great lawyer and you just got to believe that they'll see how much you all love her and how she loves it here."

'I know, but how about Leonard?" She pulled back a little, "Last night, after I put Sara to bed, I had Leonard come up and look at her with me. Do you know what he said? He said he loved her like she was his own."

Cherie looked surprised, but then smiled, "Isn't that something great too?

"Yes, but don't you see, he has done it again. He has put his heart out there, he has made a commitment and I am still holding back. At that moment, I felt so deeply for him, but then I realized I had to separate my feelings for him from how I felt about him and Sara. Then I also realized that now he would be crushed if I lose the lawsuit. All I ever do is set him up to be hurt."

Cherie leaned forward and held Penny tight, letting her cry a little. Then, as Penny dabbed her eyes, she sat back and took a sip of her coffee. Seeing Penny seemed to have recovered a little, she took a breath and said, "God, Penny, you make things so hard on yourself. Sometimes, I think you are just afraid to be happy because something may happen to wreck it. You have got to embrace what you have, to stop being afraid. You have a wonderful man that I think loves you. He has told you he loves Sara as if she were his own. Those are good things. He's a grown man, he knows what his choices involve. He obviously thinks you and Sara are worth any risk he might be taking."

Reaching back and holding Penny's shoulders and looking her in the eyes, "You're not in this alone, you have friends, family, and a man who cares deeply about you. Let us help, let him help. I know I sound like a broken record, but Penny, let him in. Talk to him. I think you'll find he understands a lot more than you think."

Penny stared at her and then smiled, "How did you get so smart?"

Ruefully, Cherie answered, "If I'm so smart, why am I the one who's alone?"

"Don't worry, I just know there's someone wonderful for you too. You just haven't found each other yet."

Cherie, smiling, said, "Okay, that's enough of this mush. Let's get back to your family and celebrate Christmas. You do have something worth drinking, don't you?"

Penny smiled, "When Leonard first came to the farm, he brought me a bottle of wine. I think this would be a good time to open it."

Then, getting serious again, "Thank you, Cherie. Again"

"Hey, I said, no more mush." Then also seriously, "You're welcome Penny, but you have been there for me too." Then smirking, "Besides, if you blow this, I'll be there to console Leonard."

Penny grabbed a pillow and hit her in the face with it, then, with both of them smiling, they headed back downstairs.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Sara showed Cherie her Komfy Kelly doll and the present she had given Leonard. Penny showed her the necklace Sara had given her and Cherie gushed over how pretty it was.

Then the kids spent time on the computers while the adults talked in the living room.

They asked about Cherie's family, which got them to talking about what the families used to do together. That led to Wyatt and Susan lamenting that they hadn't seen them for some time. Later, they had an evening meal with the women finding creative ways to serve the leftovers from the previous day. They closed out the day watching _It's a Wonderful Life_ and _A Christmas Story,_ Cherie smiling to herself as she saw Sara sit between Leonard and Penny.

When the kids fell asleep, Cherie got herself bundled back up and thanked everyone for having her over and how much she enjoyed it. As Penny told her goodbye, Cherie told her not to put off talking to Leonard.

After Cherie left and the kids were in bed, Leonard decided he'd better head out too. While his car was warming up, he thanked everyone for a great time and announced that he would not be at the farm the next day, that he wanted to finish working on what he had gotten from Sheldon, knowing now that Christmas was over, Sheldon would be calling him.

As everyone said goodnight, leaving Penny and Leonard alone, Penny spoke first, "Thank you, Leonard for making this a special Christmas. The computers were wonderful gifts. And I know Bridget really appreciated you thinking of Jeremy too. I can't wait to use my phone to talk with everyone again. Looks like I will have to get back on Facebook and start tweeting again." Then, she said sadly, "And I didn't give you anything."

Leonard stared at her, "Are you kidding? You gave me the best thing ever. Spending Christmas with you and Sara and your family is by far the best present I ever got or hoped to get."

Penny felt herself tearing up a little, and saw Leonard was too. Then Leonard reached forward and kissed her. As they pressed together, the kiss became more passionate, their tongues seeking and finding each other. Finally, they broke apart breathing heavily.

Smirking, Leonard said, "That was a pretty nice gift too."

Penny, catching her breath, "Yeah. I really hate to say this, I mean, I REALLY hate to say this, but you probably should go now. Your car should be warmed up."

With a rueful smile, Leonard continued, "Well, I certainly am." Then continued, "But you're right, I better go."

Penny leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. "Goodnight Leonard."

As Leonard said his goodnight and turned to leave, she stopped him and said, "This stuff for Sheldon, will it take all day tomorrow?"

"I don't know, why?"

"I was just wondering if I could come over about two o'clock, there is something I would like to discuss with you."

"That should be okay. I can work again after you leave if I have to. I'll see you then."

"Good."

Leonard then went to get bundled up and waved back at Penny as he headed for his car.

 **A/N What can I say? You all keep amazing me. Thanks again.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Still belongs to Chuck and Bill**

Penny knocked on Leonard's hotel door a little after two o'clock. She had been struggling all morning about what she was going to say.

Leonard opened the door and smiled, "Hi, Penny, come on in."

"Hey, Leonard. Did you get your work done?"

"I actually did. I talked to Sheldon about an hour ago and he actually said it wasn't too bad. Hopefully, I won't have to work on that again for a while."

As she took her coat off and put it in a chair, he asked her if she wanted anything. She said a water would be fine and sat down on the couch. He brought both of them a bottle and sat on the couch next to her.

Penny took a sip and a deep breath and began, "Leonard, how do you feel about how it is going between us?"

Leonard, caught a little off guard, felt his insecurities rising, "I think it's going great. Is something wrong?"

'No, no. I think it is going great, also. And it is wonderful about you and Sara. I just wonder if you thought I was still holding back. I mean I did introduce you as my friend instead of boyfriend at the party. I just want you to know, I had Cheri tell everyone the next day you were my boyfriend."

"Penny, don't worry about that, I had already forgotten about it. These last couple weeks with you and Sara have been wonderful."

"The other night, when you told me you loved Sara as your own, I thought my heart would burst. My feelings had never been stronger for you." She then looked up at him, "But I realized I had to separate my feelings for how you and Sara have bonded from how I feel about you."

Taking another sip, she decided it was time to take the plunge. She reached out and took his hands. "Leonard, I have come to know that I did not love any of the men I have been with. I want to let you know specifically that I never told Brandon that I loved him. I just needed to want to love him after I found out I was pregnant. As for Mike and the others, I told them I loved them, but I never felt anything for any of them like I feel for you. I was never as happy with them as I was with you before we broke up and since we got back together here. If this isn't love. I don't know what is."

Looking into his eyes she said, "But, I am still not ready to say I love you because when I say it, it will mean I am totally committed to you and want to spend my life with you."

Seeing the disappointment in his eyes, she went on, "If it was just the two of us, I believe I would be ready to say it, but there are other factors now."

Then releasing his hands, she took another drink, "Because of the Holidays, I had been able for the most part to put the lawsuit out of my mind, but with Christmas gone, it occupies my mind a lot. Even on Christmas day, it hit me that this might be the last Christmas I will have with Sara. I just don't know how this damn thing will affect all of us. I am afraid of who I will be if I lose Sara. And how this will affect Sara no matter how it turns out. And how will it affect you, because as usual, you have put your heart out there."

Leonard sat there stunned. Penny had basically said she loved him. And he could understand about the uncertainty she felt about the future because of the lawsuit. He reached out and took her hand, "Penny, I do believe that you love me. You know how I feel about you and Sara. I also understand about the lawsuit. I am also scared and wonder how it will affect us all as well. I can wait until we put this behind us."

Looking into her eyes, he continued, "You do have to promise me one thing, Penny. That we will fight this together. Don't shut me out. Let me know what you are feeling, about your concerns. I need you as well. Let us help each other. Can you promise me that, Penny?"

A little teary eyed, she answered, "I promise Leonard, I can't do this without you."

Then dabbing her eyes, "There is one more thing." Smiling sadly, she went on, "I can't believe I am saying this, but I think we should postpone having sex until this is all resolved. I want it to come with our commitment to each other. That doesn't mean I don't want to do it." Smiling, "Because I really do."

"Oh God, I do too Penny, but, and I can't believe I am saying this, I agree with you. Maybe it will strengthen our resolve a little if we agree it is probably the best for the lawsuit also." Then smiling a little nervously, "But, we can continue to Cuddle and Kiss, right?"

Penny smiled broadly, saying, "Oh yeah! In fact, I could use some of that right now."

She then climbed onto his lap and grabbed him around the neck and gave him a big kiss. They stayed that way for a while, then she sat next to him and laid her head on his shoulder, her hand on his leg. They spent some time like that, occasionally sharing a kiss, before Penny got up and said, "How about you buy me supper. Is the food in this hotel any good?"

"It's not bad, but why don't we go to that little Italian place you liked so much. We can take separate cars and you can go on to work."

And so they did.

The next day, Leonard went out to the farm only to find that Mother Nature was about to disrupt things again. The forecast for the next day was three feet of snow to fall on Omaha and the surrounding area. In the past when this happened, they would take Penny to town to stay with Cherie so she could get to work and they would have a vehicle at the farm. They discussed that this time Penny could stay with Leonard, but reluctantly, actually very reluctantly, decided that might not be the best idea. But they did decide to have Leonard stay at the farm. Since he had a car, Penny could take the truck to town.

So, Leonard packed up and moved out to the farm as Penny did the same to stay with Cherie. Unfortunately, the forecast was accurate and the snow began to fall just as Cherie and Penny headed home from the club. The snow stopped at noon the next day after dropping the aforementioned three feet.

In the city, the plows immediately went to work. By the time Cherie and Penny had to go to work, the main streets had been cleared and they and the club's customers could get around.

In the country, it was an entirely different story. The wind picked up and with the accumulation and drifting, the plows soon gave up, waiting for the winds to let up.

Wyatt and Bridget made it out to the shed and were able to get the tractor started; Wyatt then plowed paths to all the buildings. Meanwhile, Leonard wielded a snow shovel for the first time in a long time as he and Susan shoveled the porches and an area of the yard adjacent to them.

Bridget and Sara then went out to work with the horses, but were not able to give them a work out.

The family and Penny spent a lot of time on the phone. Leonard and Sara had several conversations together and alone with her.

The plows were finally able to get out Thursday afternoon, but it wasn't until late Friday morning that they reached the road that led to the farm. Wyatt then plowed the driveway and they were reconnected to the outside world. Since Penny would have to return to work almost immediately after she got home, she decided to wait until Saturday to return.

On Friday afternoon, Leonard and Sara were sitting side by side in the kitchen, each on their own computer. Bridget and Jeremy were taking a nap, while Wyatt and Susan had taken Leonard's car and gone to get some badly needed groceries.

Suddenly, Sara spoke up, "Leonard, are you going to be my Daddy?"

Leonard, who had only been half listening, was stunned. What had brought this on? Wishing Penny was there, he cautiously answered, "What made you ask that, Sara?"

"You and Mommy kiss and hug. That means you are going to get married."

Still nonplussed, Leonard answered carefully, "I do like your mother very much and maybe someday that may happen, but for now we're still just boyfriend and girlfriend. But I would be proud to have you for a daughter."

"Then, why doesn't my real Daddy want me?"

Leonard realized he was treading on dangerous ground now. He wished they had told Sara about the lawsuit. After all, her Father did say he wanted her now. He really didn't think it was his place to do it, at least not without Penny's okay. Penny needed to be the one to tell her.

"I don't think that it's because he doesn't want you. It's just that he and Mommy aren't together and they decided you would be happy on the farm with your Mommy." Right after he said it, he knew it was probably a little lame but didn't know what else to say.

Fortunately, Wyatt and Susan returned at that moment and Sara seemed to have been satisfied, at least for now.

As soon as he was alone, he called Penny.

"Hey, Leonard, what's up?"

"Your daughter just asked me if we were getting married and if I would be her Daddy."

Penny, surprised, "What did you say?"

"Just that it might happen someday but for now we're just boyfriend and girlfriend. But that I would be proud to have her for a daughter. But then she asked why her real Daddy doesn't want her."

"Oh, poor baby, what did you say to that?"

"I really didn't know what to say, I finally told her that it wasn't that he didn't want her, just that you guys decided she'd be happy on the farm. I was wishing we had told her about the lawsuit, but thought you would want to do that."

"I think that sounds all right. You didn't put him down or anything." After a moment, "I guess it's time to tell her. I was really hoping I could put if off for a while. I'll tell her Sunday when I don't have to go to work in case she is really upset."

"That sounds like a good idea." Then quietly, "I miss you."

"I miss you too, but I'll be home tomorrow. Are you going to stay over tomorrow night?"

"I think I will, I'll stay up and wish you Happy New Year when you get home."

"I'd like that. Well, Cherie and I were just about to eat. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Penny, say Hi to Cherie for me."

Turning her head, "Leonard says Hi." Turning back, "Cherie says Hi back. Goodnight, Leonard."

Penny returned home Saturday morning. Leonard and Penny then had an intense make out session in her room. Turned out it was a good thing that Leonard had pointed out that it might not look good for the lawsuit if they had sex, because their self-control was in big danger of breaking down.

Everyone was a little nervous when Penny left for work. They knew it could get to be a wild night at the Club. They knew Penny could take care of herself and Doug had brought in extra security, but they were still afraid of there being an incident.

Everything was okay until Midnight, although that was largely due to the extra security Doug had brought in. Twice, customers near the stage had to be reminded they were not to get on the stage. Also, someone hassled the hostesses at a table, but Howard convinced him that was a bad idea and the man was escorted out. Doug had also put in a limited drink rule and had his valets do their best to see that no one left the club driving drunk.

It had been customary at the club that the no touch rule was lifted once during the year, a kiss at midnight on New Year's. Every time it fell on Saturday, Doug was tempted to not allow it, but a lot of his regular customers were expecting it. The kiss was to be lips only and not tongue or copping a feel. For the most part, it went well with some of the girls deciding to ignore a little cheating of the rules, like a hand on the waist or touching their ass. But the drunk guy who kissed Juanita crossed the line and put his hand on her breast and fondled it. Before Howard or any of the other security could reach them, Juanita fixed it by giving him a knee to the groin. Then one of his friends took exception to that and went after Juanita. By this time Howard was there to stop him and the man made a bad mistake by taking a swing at Howard. In stopping the blow, Howard inadvertently broke the guy's arm.

In the hubbub that followed, the two 'gentlemen' screamed they were calling the police and pressing charges. It looked like it was going to all end very badly when a man decided to interrupt. It turned out that the two drunk gentlemen were aspiring lawyers that were being looked at by Hays, Hays, and Hays.

Henry Thompkins was now very glad he had decided to come down to the club to be there if anything happened. When they saw him, the two jerks settled down and let him take them aside. He quickly informed them that if they didn't drop any idea of making a scene, of not just going to the emergency room and getting fixed up, of not foregoing any idea of pressing charges, they would have a hard time finding a place of employment.

They quickly apologized to Juanita and Howard and immediately left with Henry.

When Penny got home, she found Leonard waiting in the Living Room. She gave him a real New Year's kiss and then set next to him on the pulled-out bed. She then told him what had happened at the club and Henry's part in fixing it. They both then wondered if he had been actually working on their case or just wanted to see Penny strip. They sleepily agreed both were very good reasons. When Penny got up to go to bed, she suggested that maybe Leonard should come back to the club as well. This time he could sit in the front row and later see what a lap dance entailed.

After breakfast the next morning, Penny and Sara went out to the stables. Wyatt and their neighbor had combined to open a path for the horses so they could have a ride.

When they got back, Penny decided now was just a good time as any. She took Sara up to her room.

"Sara, I have something important to discuss with you. Please listen carefully."

"Am I in trouble?"

"No, Honey, it's about your father."

Sara, surprised, "My real father?"

Penny took out a picture of Brandon and Eileen at their wedding that Leonard had printed off the internet. "His name is Brandon David Stevens. He just got married six months ago and this is a picture of him and his wife. Her name is Eileen."

Sara took the picture like it might burn her. Her mind was spinning. Why was her Mommy doing this? After all these years she knew her Father's name and was looking at a picture of him. She stared at it for a few moments and then looked up at her mother.

"Why are you showing me this, now? I have asked you so many times. It always made you sad."

Penny took a deep breath, 'Here we go'. "He wants you to come and live with him."

Sara stared back at her. "What did you say?"

"He wants you to move to California and live with him and his wife."

"But I live here, on the farm." Trying to make sense of it all, "Would you come with us?"

"No, you would live with him instead of me."

"Don't you want me anymore?"

Penny, fighting not to lose it, gave Sara a hug, "Oh yes, Sara, of course I want you. I love you more than anything." Then releasing her, and sitting back and looking her in the eye, "Try to understand, he is trying to take you away from me. He says you will be happier and better off with him. I want you to stay with us."

"Why is he doing this?"

Penny told herself to be careful now. Don't attack him or try to affect her decision. "He thinks he can do things for you I can't. He is very rich and you could have lots of toys and things to play with. Then, when you are older, he can help you go to college."

"How about Daisy and Dallas? How about Grandpa and Grandma? I'll miss Jeremy and Bridget too. Will Leonard be there?"

"As I said, he has lots of money, he could buy you a lot of horses. Everyone here will miss you."

"I don't want lots of horses, I want Daisy and Dallas. I want to ride with you. Who will teach Leonard to ride? No, I won't go, I want to stay here."

Penny was starting losing the struggle with her emotions, but fought them back, knowing it wouldn't help if she broke down.

"I'm afraid it is not your choice. A judge would have to decide."

Sara was puzzled. What did a judge have to do with it? A little frustrated, she said, "I don't understand."

"Your father did a paper that says you will be better off with him. A judge has to decide if he agrees. If he does, you would have to go."

"But I don't want to."

Penny wasn't sure how to continue. Finally, she said, "It will be some time before all this happens. Besides, before it happens, you will get to meet your Father."

Sara's eyes widened, "I will get to see him?"

"Yes, we don't when yet, but you will get to talk with him and Eileen."

"Can I tell him then I want to stay with you?"

Penny decided she wasn't going to push any more that Sara may not have a choice, they could try again later on. "You can talk about anything you want. But you should be polite and listen to what they have to say too. You will also get a chance later to talk to the judge."

Sara, now concentrating on the fact she was actually going to meet her father, had relaxed.

Sara later told Leonard all about it and it was apparent she had decided to just think about meeting her father. She wondered if she could show him the farm, but Leonard said he didn't think that would be possible. That sobered her a little, but then she smiled and said she could tell him all about it.

After putting Sara to bed, Penny and Leonard sat alone in the living room on the bed. Leonard decided he didn't want to drive in the dark with the snow and was leaving the next morning. Penny said, "Well, I told her but I don't think she understands."

"It's a lot to take in. We can try again after she gets to meet him. At least she should know more about what life with them would be like. See if she still overwhelmingly wants to stay here. Henry might also want to talk to her. Maybe he could help her understand more."

"I guess you're right. Today, just made it even more real, though."

She rested her head on his shoulder and they both were soon lost in their own thoughts.

Leonard had thought that nothing would top the excitement of the previous year. The hard work, the nomination and the actual ceremony. But now the next year contained the promise of even greater happiness but also great despair. All he knew for sure was that he would be there for Sara and Penny whatever fate had in store for them.

Ever since Penny had come to Nebraska, each new year brought little excitement, each year was similar to the previous one. This one was different. She could look forward to great joy, great sadness, or perhaps both. But she now knew she would have a man to support and love her and Sara, whatever happened. She also knew they were in love with him.

 **Thanks again for making my day.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N Still doing this for pure enjoyment**.

It was ten o'clock on the morning of January 3 when Warren Hampton stepped off the elevator at the seventh floor of the office building. He made his way down the hallway and entered the waiting room of Dexter Hamilton, Senior Partner of Hamilton, Wagner, and Simpson. He walked up to the desk and addressed the secretary sitting behind it. "Good morning, Michelle, Mr. Hamilton is expecting me."

"Have a seat, Mr. Hampton, I'll tell Mr. Hamilton you're here."

As she got up and went to the door, Hampton couldn't help but watch her. She really was a looker. He wondered why Hamilton still insisted she address him in person rather than use an intercom.

If it was anyone else, he might think he just wanted to see her in person. But he realized it really fit in with Hamilton's persona. He liked to do things in an old-fashioned way. Unlike the other Senior Partners, who had been recruited to a large firm straight from a prestigious Law School, Hamilton had originally been a small-town lawyer, who graduated from a Midwest law school. Then, he had become involved in an environmental lawsuit which had thrust him into national prominence when he argued it brilliantly before the Supreme Court. So impressive was he that two prominent lawyers, Dave Wagner and Stephan Simpson had invited him to form a law firm with them. Now that firm was one of the most prestigious in Los Angeles.

Michelle interrupted his reverie by saying, "Mr. Hamilton will see you now."

Thanking her, he entered Mr. Hamilton's office. Hamilton came around the desk to greet him and walked back with him as he sat in a chair in front of the desk and Hamilton sat back in his desk chair.

"Thanks for coming by, Warren. Realize you might not be all caught back up with your cases so soon after the Holidays, but I wanted to get back up to speed as soon as possible."

"No problem, Sir. I had a lot of free time last week. May I ask, how was your vacation in Bermuda?"

"It was all right, except my idiot brother-in-law invited himself. But I did get to relax. Now, shall we get started?"

Of course. In Williams vs. Branker, I am sure we can get them to agree to a settlement under $700,000."

Hamilton's eye brows rose a little. "Weren't they asking for 15 million?"

"Yes, but they screwed up and we were able to undermine their main witness. Think they are running a little scared."

Hampton continued through his cases until only one remained.

Hamilton spoke up, "Well, I guess we better go over that damn custody case. I still can't believe we let that old lady talk us into this."

Hampton had to smile to himself. That 'old lady' was Carrie Stevens, Brandon's grandmother and patriarch of the Stevens family. She had originally been the one who had Brandon coerce Miss Prentis into taking the money. Not that Brandon wasn't all for it. He had no interest in marrying a waitress and raising her kid.

But when Brandon got married, and Eileen found out about the baby, she had hired private investigators to learn the child's situation. She had then told Brandon she wanted to gain custody to give the child the kind of life she deserved. Hampton then had to give Brandon credit, he agreed and stood up to his grandmother.

Once his grandmother gave in, she insisted that if they were going to do this, they were going to win. So, she had swung her considerable weight and now he, Warren Hampton, was off to Nebraska to represent them.

He realized Hamilton had continued.

"I have already heard from her since I got back to the office yesterday. Where are we at on this case? Last time we talked, I remember we were pretty confident. Assume nothing has changed."

"Well, to be honest, Sir, we have run into something we had not expected. As you remember, the major thing we had counted on was the overwhelming advantage of having the resources of a major law firm and me as the main lawyer. We weren't sure she would even be able to afford a lawyer."

"I would guess that has changed."

"Yes, somehow she is being represented by Henry Thompkins of Hays, Hays, and Hays."

In spite of himself, Hamilton couldn't hide his surprise. "Henry Thompkins? He's one of the best lawyers in the country. How did she get him? And how could she possibly afford him?"

"I have no idea why they would ever become interested in the case in the first place, but I have a possible suspect that might have provided the funds. We are still using the Detective Agency that Eileen Stevens used to get the original information about the child. They have sources inside the Gentlemen's Club and they were told our Miss Prentis brought a man to their Christmas Party."

Hamilton had to interrupt, "They have a Christmas Party?"

"Yes, but it sounds actually boring. They also have a company picnic that families go to."

"I guess it really isn't that strange, just caught me off guard. You were saying she brought a man."

"Yes, and the next day it came out he was her Boyfriend."

"Well, that could be promising. Is this guy rich? It could be she's putting out in return for him helping her. I hope he has a bad reputation."

Hampton said ruefully, "His name is Doctor Leonard Hofstadter, and he just won a Nobel Prize for Physics."

Hamilton couldn't hide his surprise. "A Nobel Prize? What the hell is going on here? We thought we were dealing with a stripper that was barely getting by, that would be completely without resources. Now she has one of the best lawyers in the country and goes with a guy that is a VIP himself."

After thinking for a moment, he continued, "But I guess she still could be leading him on. After all, Arthur Miller was involved with Marilyn Monroe. Having brains doesn't always mean you can control your urges."

Hampton answered, "That's true, but unfortunately, they have a history. We had our local investigators follow up. They were neighbors and were involved back before she met Brandon and moved to Nebraska."

"Okay, but I still think it's worth following up on. If their sleeping together, we still may be able to use it to better attack her character. Have that Agency in Nebraska put a twenty-four-hour tail on Miss Prentis."

"That will probably be expensive. They may need to use several agents."

"Don't worry about that. Mrs. Carrie Stevens assured me money was not a problem."

"All right, I'll get them started right away."

"Now, with all this, how do you access our chances now?"

"I would say no more than fifty/fifty. There is no indication of abuse or neglect, so the burden of proof is on us. Our best hope seems to be some kind of scandal connected with her and/or someone at that strip club."

"All right, keep me posted. I want a weekly report or if anything drastically changes. Do we have a trial date yet?"

"Yes, it will be on the twenty-sixth of January at the Second District Family Court in Omaha. The judge is some guy named Patrick Nelson. We have assigned someone to see what we can find out about him. I also suggested to their Lawyer that Brandon and Eileen could meet with the kid on the eleventh."

"Since you said Nebraska, I assume they have obtained a Change of Venue."

"Yes, Sir."

"Have you decided who will represent us at the meeting with the child?"

'I was thinking of sending Betty Winston. She actually went for a time to the University of Nebraska."

"Okay, sounds like that's all we can do for now. Be sure you stay on top of what the detective firm is doing."

After Hampton left, Hamilton sighed heavily and told Michelle to get Mrs. Carrie Stevens on the line.

Leonard went back to his hotel on the morning of the second. He had been away from his hotel for some time and wanted to do some laundry and catch up on a little sleep. Although he would never complain, the sofa bed had not been overly comfortable.

Just to prove that you can count on not counting on Mother Nature in Nebraska, the first days of the new year proved to be abnormally warm and the snow began to melt rapidly. On the third, Leonard returned to the farm and got back to where he was with the horses by riding Dallas as he had before.

Everything seemed pretty much back to normal, except Jeremy went back to school. He had been eagerly wanting to tell his teacher he had a computer now.

Then, Henry called Penny on the fourth saying that he wondered if she and Leonard could meet him at his office that afternoon. So, Penny and Leonard found themselves back in the office of Henry Thompkins.

"I called you in today to let you know where we are in the process and also catch up with anything that has happened with you or the family."

"As I expected, there was no problem getting a Change of Venue."

He continued, "In fact, we have a trial date. We're set for nine o'clock in the morning on the 26th of January, at the Second District Family Court. We drew Judge Patrick Nelson."

As he was talking, Penny reached out and grabbed Leonard's hand. Leonard squeezed it back, knowing she had the same reaction he did. If they had any hopes or dreams that this was not going to happen, they were going away very rapidly.

Henry was continuing, "I admit, he wasn't my first choice, but if the truth be told, you never really know which Judge might be better in the end. It's just so hard to forecast what will be determined to be important."

He went on, "I have also heard from Mr. Hampton. He suggested the eleventh as the day the Plaintiffs will meet with Sara. Do either of you see a problem with that? I know it is only a week away, but I would like to get that behind us. We should have a much better idea of what we are facing."

Leonard and Penny exchanged looks. Penny answered, 'I can't think of any reason why not. I have already told her that he is coming and about him wanting custody."

Henry leaned forward, "That was the next thing I was going to ask. How did it go?"

"All right, I guess. I don't know if she really understood everything. She kept saying she wasn't going to go. But it was more that she was just saying what she felt rather that rebelling against it. Once she heard she was going to see her father, she seemed to fixate on that."

"Don't worry if she didn't seem to completely understand. It's a lot for a four-year-old to absorb. We can readdress it after they have their meeting. She may feel differently after visiting with him."

Leonard spoke up, "We were thinking it might help if you would talk to her. She might accept it more from someone else."

"I plan on talking to her. I want to go over with her what she can expect so she isn't blindsided by what happens in court. Oh, before I forget, it will be my assistant who will accompany her to the meeting. Since you have no objections, I'll get all the details worked out."

Penny spoke back up, "Is there anything we need to do beforehand? Any way she should dress, anything we should tell her?"

"No, not really. In fact, be careful you don't try to guide or instruct her in any way. As far as what she wears, let it be her choice. I assume she will want to look her best."

He then sat back in his chair. "Now, is there anything I think I should know about that has happened since we last talked? Other than that little mess at the Gentlemen's Club the other night?"

Leonard said, "It sounds like it was a good thing you were there. May I ask, was it just a good break or did you anticipate something?"

"I wouldn't say I anticipated anything, but I was there just in case something did happen. It was pure luck I was able to be of such help, but I wanted to be there to observe anything that happened and be able to council Penny if it became necessary. I was aware of how things might get out of hand."

Penny then said, "Well, it was a good thing you were there." Then she hesitated and sneaking a look at Leonard, turned back and said, "You probably should know that there have been changes in my relationship with Leonard and his with Sara."

She continued, "We have resumed out previous relationship and are boyfriend and girlfriend. Leonard accompanied me to our Company Christmas Party and I let it be known that we were in a relationship." She decided Henry didn't need to know she waited a day to do so.

Penny continued, "We are still feeling our way, mainly because we are not sure about what is going to happen with Sara, but we are definitely serious about how we feel. Also, Leonard and Sara have gotten really close. Leonard," looking quickly at him to see him nod, "said that he loved Sara as if she were his own, and I think Sara loves him as well."

Leonard added, "The other day, she asked me if I was going to be her father. She had seen me and Penny be affectionate to each other. I told her I liked Penny very much but would not be married at least not now."

He then continued, "I know you told me to be careful about spending money, but I got Sara and Jeremy computers for Christmas, as well as a new smartphone for Penny."

Henry sat up again. "Well, it seems quite a bit has occurred. Pardon my rudeness, have you two slept together?"

Leonard answered, "No," and smiling at Penny, who blushed a little, "Not because we don't want to, but because we want to do things slower this time, to be sure were both completely comfortable with it. Also, we thought it could give some help to Brandon in the law suit."

"Although it really isn't my business, I have to admit I am glad you haven't. I do think it might possibly weaken our case. Have you spent a night together?"

Penny answered, "Leonard has slept over at the farm on a few occasions. He has slept alone on the couch and I was only in the house two of the nights. I have been at his hotel twice after work, but left before morning both times."

"Okay, I think we are still all right here. I don't think anything that has happened affects my opinion on the case. But I hope I don't need to remind you to keep your guard up. I still feel their best chance is getting some dirt on you, either personal or because of some scandal at the club. We can't do anything to prevent someone from doing something, but we can do our best so that you are not directly involved."

He started to get to his feet, "Well, I guess that's all I have. Can you think of anything else? Have any questions?"

Leonard said, "Was one thing. We are planning to tell our friends in Pasadena the whole story. At least some of them will want to come down and visit. Do you see any problem with that? Are there still any restrictions because of that old contract?"

"Since Stevens has made it public knowledge that he is the father, I don't see any problem. I still think you are bound not to sue him for money if it ever comes to that, but that is a separate issue."

He then got up, and as Penny and Leonard also rose, he reached out and shook both their hands. "If you think of something, you have my number. I'll have Sally contact you when we have the meeting set up and she will arrange to get Sara there and back."

As they left the building and started toward their vehicles, Penny asked, "Leonard, can we go somewhere where we can be alone? I think a need a little TLC. It's getting all too real."

"We can go up to my room. I really not sure anywhere would be better."

"All right, you go ahead and I'll meet you there."

Soon after Leonard got there, Penny knocked at the door. She came in, took off her coat, then leaned over and kissed him softly on the mouth. Leonard did not try to do any more, just pressing his lips against hers. She then led him to the couch and sitting beside him, laid her head on his shoulder and put her hand on his leg. They stayed like that for some time. Finally, Penny spoke, "Thank you, Leonard for knowing what I need." Then she grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes. "I don't know what I would do if you weren't here. I would never have made it through this without you." Then she leaned in and gave him a more passionate kiss.

Then she rose and putting on her coat, she said goodbye and started for the door, But Leonard stopped her and turned her around. Putting his hands on her shoulder, he said, "It's not just me for you. I need you and Sara just as much to help me through this. We will do this together whatever happens."

Then he grabbed and crushed his lips against hers and she pushed to get as close to him as she could. Then they stepped back and she went out the door.

 **A/N I don't know how you all do it. But you just keep astounding me with your input and interest each chapter. Oh, and I did I say I love it.**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N Still not making any money, still don't own anything.**

Several events transpired in the week leading up to Sara's visit with Brandon.

The Borden Detective Agency assigned five agents to keep track of Penny twenty-four hours a day. They found a spot on a side road from which they could watch the entrance to the farm. They then stationed an agent at a point along the route leading to town, changing the position regularly. When the outlook saw Penny leave, he notified the other car that then followed her. If after she left, Leonard would leave, the outlook would follow him. He would then return to his station when the other agent notified him Penny was back at the farm.

Since they worked eight-hour shifts, that took four agents. The other agent just watched the Gentlemen's club while Penny was working. The two hostesses who were their inside sources kept track of Penny inside the club.

Leonard and Penny called the group on Saturday the seventh. As they had planned, they told them everything. Penny was slightly disappointed in their reaction to the fact she was a stripper. The one that was the most affected was Jasmine. It was apparent she thoroughly disapproved of Penny. Raj could only give Penny an apologetic look as Jasmine insisted they sign off. The others also were more judgmental than Penny would have expected. But, maybe she just needed to give them some time to absorb the information. She also had hoped Howard had gotten past some of his creepiness. He kept wanting to discuss details of what she did.

She had to admit, though, that once they heard about Brandon suing for custody, they quickly showed their friendship and pledged their support. Howard even suggested that they could maybe try to hack into the opposing firm's computers. In the end though, Leonard and Sheldon agreed that that anything they might gain from doing so was not worth the risk of getting caught, which could probably blow the whole case.

Amy and Bernadette decided they would like to come down to try to help. They planned to fly down the weekend of the fourteenth.

Sunday the eighth, Leonard decided to try to change the mood by announcing he was ready to ride Dallas on his own, albeit slowly. Sara, Penny, and Leonard arrived at the stable at 10:30 that morning.

Sara was excited but a little nervous for Leonard. "Are you sure you're ready, Leonard?"

"I'm sure, after all, I have a great teacher."

Penny spoke up, "He'll be fine, Sara, you know Dallas is as gentle as can be. The only difference from what we were doing before is that Leonard will be holding the reins. It will be slow and easy." 'As long as nothing spooks her', she thought to herself.

Sara and Penny worked with Leonard on how to handle the reins, how to control direction and most important, how to get Dallas to start and stop. They had worked on these things before but wanted to be sure Leonard was ready.

Finally, they decided it was time. With Sara slowly riding Daisy leading the way, Leonard rode Dallas after her, with Penny walking along behind. Along the way, they had Leonard stop and then get Dallas going again. When they reached the end of the trail, Leonard was able to get Dallas turned around and headed back the way they came. Seeing how good he was doing, they even had him speed up Dallas slightly and then bring him back to a slower speed.

As they got close to the stables, Sara suddenly sped up and left him behind. As he and Penny came into the yard, Leonard saw everyone waiting for him. As he brought Dallas to a stop everyone started clapping and cheering.

Blushing a little, but with a huge grin on his face, he dismounted. Wyatt came up and clapped him on the back. "Great job, Leonard, you looked darn good up there."

Susan, and to his surprise, Bridget, came up and gave him a hug, saying, "We're so proud of you, Leonard."

Leonard picked Jeremy up as he could see he was being shy. Jeremy managed, "Good job, Leonard."

Leonard smiled and said, "Thank you, Jeremy," as he put him back down.

Then Sara came up with a big smile on her face. He picked her up and said, "Well, Sara, you did it. You made a rider out of me."

Then Sara gave him a stern face, "We still have a long way to go. I can't wait until we can go on a long ride together and you know how it feels to ride fast."

Then she gave him a hug and said, "But this was great, too."

Putting her down, he saw Penny approach. She gave him a small kiss and said, "We really are all proud of you. You've come a long way."

Leonard turned to everyone, "Thank you all for this. It really makes me feel like I belong."

They quickly assured him that he did. Wyatt then interrupted, "Well let's get these horses settled in. We've got hot chocolate and mom's homemade pie for a celebration."

Sally Wilson called Penny first thing in the morning on the ninth to tell her that everything was set. Sara was to meet with Brandon and EIleen at the Manchester Hotel at two o'clock on January eleventh. She said she would come to the farm to pick up Sara at ten o'clock. At that time, she would go over with them all what exactly was going to happen.

That afternoon Sara got out some blank paper and began to draw. When asked what she was doing, she said since she couldn't show her Daddy the farm, she was going to draw it for him. When she was finished, she had two drawings. The one of the farm buildings showed where her interests lie. The Stable was by far the most dominant structure and contained much more detail, including pictures of Daisy and Dallas.

Her other drawing showed the members of the family. They were divided into two groups. Her Grandpa, Grandma, Bridget, and Jeremy were in one, while Penny, Leonard, and Sara were in the other.

Everyone had to struggle to control their emotions.

Then they all then complimented Sara on how great a job she had done.

The next day, Sara asked her mother if she could have a new dress for the meeting. Penny was a little surprised. Sara hardly ever wore a dress, and the ones she had were made by Bridget. But it was clear she wanted one from a store. In spite of herself, Penny felt a little hurt that she wanted something special to meet Brandon, but then realized they had gotten so caught up in what the meeting meant for the custody battle, that they had forgotten how exciting and important this was for Sara.

So, Penny, Susan, and Bridget drove Leonard's car to the mall and had Sara pick out a dress. She also got some bows for her hair.

When Leonard arrived at the farm the next morning, he found that the women were all upstairs getting Sara ready. It was about 9:30 when they came down. After they all said good morning to Leonard, Penny stood by the stairs and announced, "May I present, Miss Sara Lee Prentis."

With a huge smile on her face, Sara came down from the stairs. She was wearing a pink dress with white polka dots, and matching ribbons in her hair.

Leonard felt his heart swell. She looked so different. He had never seen her in anything but jeans and her bib overalls. He suddenly felt he knew even more how fathers felt about their daughters. How really special they were.

Sara came up to him. "Hi Leonard." She then twirled a little, "Aren't I pretty? Do you think Daddy will think so?"

Leonard smiled and said, "You sure are. I'm sure he will think you're the best daughter in the world."

Just then, they heard the sound of a car pulling into the yard. Penny spoke up, "That must be Sally." Looking at her watch, she went on, "She's a little early."

Everyone went into the kitchen and Penny went to the door and let her in. After taking off her coat, she came into the kitchen, where everyone was sitting around the table.

"Good morning, everyone, I'm Sally Wilson, it's nice to meet you all in person."

Sara then spoke up, "How do you like my new dress?"

Sally smiled and said, "I like it, you look very nice."

She then opened her briefcase and took out some papers. "I just need a signature from you, Penny. It just states you give your permission for me to represent you at the meeting. Since I am with the firm, it is probably not necessary, but Mr. Thompkins like to be sure we have covered all the bases."

Penny signed, and putting the paper back in her case, Sally continued, still standing up, "Thank you. Okay, let me go over what is going to happen. As you know the meeting is at the Manchester. It will take place in a regular hotel suite. The only people present will be Sara, the Plaintiffs, me, and their representative…." Checking a paper in her hand she said, "A Miss Betty Winston."

"Sara and the Plaintiffs will be sitting around a table while Miss Winston and I will be sitting in the background. We are just there to observe and to provide help and counsel if something should happen. Normally, we will take not part in what is going on."

"It is scheduled to last an hour. It may be possible it could go longer, but that would be unusual."

Turning to Sara, "Do you understand, Sara? If you have any questions, please ask me. If you don't have one now, you can ask me later."

Sara said, "I drew some pictures. Is that okay?"

Sally said, "May I see them?"

Sara went out into the living room and returned with them, handing them to Sally.

Sally looked at them, and in spite of herself had to smile at the one of the family members.

"May I ask why you drew these?"

"I wanted to show Daddy the farm, but since I can't, I drew it for him."

"Well, Sara, these are very good, and I see no problem showing him. Would you mind if I put them in my briefcase so they don't get wrinkled? I will give them to you when we get to the hotel."

"That will be okay. Thank you."

"No problem. Any other questions?"

Penny spoke up, "Will we be able to discuss with you what you thought of the meeting?"

"Yes, I will report to Mr. Thompkins, and he will get together with you and Leonard later this week."

"If there are no more questions, I guess we should be going."

"Oh, I almost forgot. "Sara, do you need to have something to eat before we go? Or do you want to eat something in town?"

Sara answered, "Can we stop for a Happy Meal?"

Sally smiled and said, "We certainly can."

Sara and Sally both got their coats on and walked out to Sally's car. Penny and Leonard followed them out and Leonard transferred the car seat from his car to Sally's. They waved goodbye as they drove off.

Penny then turned to Leonard, "Oh God, I am so scared. What if she wants to be with him after this?"

Leonard hugged her, "Don't worry, Penny, I am sure we can trust Sara to not be easily swayed. We both know how special she is. Now, let's get inside, I' m getting cold."

Putting his arms around her, they headed back to the house.

After partaking of a Happy Meal, Sara and Sally went up to the room. Just outside the door, Sally turned to Sara. "Are you okay, Sara? Is there anything that's bothering you?"

"No, I'm okay."

Sally knocked and a woman who Sally assumed was Betty Winston answered the door. She stepped back and said, "Come on in. Were ready for you."

As they entered, Sally took off her coat and helped Sara with hers. Brandon and Eileen were sitting by a table. When Sally escorted Sara to the table, Brandon and Eileen stood up. Sally and Betty then moved over to chairs away from the table.

Brandon was stunned. He had never imagined this would be his reaction when he saw Sara. When Penny had told him she was pregnant, the only thing he could think of was that she had entrapped him, that she was after his money. He really never gave any thought to the baby itself. He had no wish to be with Penny and form a family. When she turned down his solution to have an abortion, he was even more sure she would use the baby against him. Thus, he had been surprised when his Grandmother had suggested threatening Penny with taking the baby. He thought she would call his bluff. But to his relief, his Grandmother had been right again, and he was freed from any responsibility.

In the five years since, he had never really thought about the baby. Then, he had meet Eileen and fallen deeply in love with her. And when she returned his feelings, he was as happy as he had ever been. Wanting to keep no secrets, he had told her about Penny and the baby.

Then, about three months after they were married, Eileen shocked him by telling him she had contacted a detective agency and had them investigate the child's situation. She informed him she felt they needed to get custody to be sure the child had the best life possible.

Brandon could really not say no to her and even stood up to his Grandmother. He assumed they would hire their own lawyer and it would be a low-level case. Deep down, he hoped they would lose. But then his Grandmother had decided if they were going to do this, they had to win. Suddenly, the whole thing became huge and Warren Hampton of all people was handling the case. Although, he was now pretty sure they would win, the child herself was still just part of the case to him. At least Eileen would be happy.

He had seen pictures of Sara of course. The detective agency had provided them, but he had hardly looked at them.

Now, seeing Sara in person, he was stunned at what he was feeling. Suddenly, she was an individual, a real live person. Although she took after Penny, he could see features of his mother in her face. Then, she had his blue eyes. Suddenly, he realized this was his daughter. His flesh and blood. Suddenly, he wanted what was best for her. He wanted to give her what she deserved.

Ever since Sara had known of the situation with her father, she had often fantasized about meeting him. No matter what ever scenario she envisioned, one thing was the same. She had rushed to him, giving him a huge hug. But now that it was real, she found she had no desire to do so. This man was a complete stranger. She felt no tie to him.

The three of them stood there awkwardly, no one sure what to do. Finally, Brandon spoke. "Hi Sara."

Brandon struggled on, "Sara, I am your father. My name is Brandon and this is my wife Eileen."

Eileen said, "Hi, Sara, glad to finally meet you."

Sara said quietly, "Hello."

Eileen continued, "Why don't we all sit down?"

They sat down around the table. Eileen asked, "Sara, why don't you tell us about yourself, about your family?"

Sara then remembered her drawings. Turning to Sally she said, "May I have my pictures now?"

Sally said, "Of course," got up and retrieved the pictures from her briefcase and brought them to Sara.

With Brandon and Eileen looking inquisitively at her, Sara explained, "Leonard said you wouldn't be able to come to the farm, so I decided to draw the farm for you."

Brandon started a little at the name Leonard. Hampton had told him to find out as much as he could about Leonard's relationship with Penny and Sara. This looked like an opportunity to start finding out.

"Sara, who's Leonard?"

Sara looked up from her drawings. "Leonard is Mommy's boyfriend." Then she smiled, "I taught him to ride Dallas. When he first came to the farm, he was afraid of horses."

"How do you know he is her boyfriend? Did she tell you?"

"I saw them kissing and holding hands. When I asked Leonard if he was going to be my Daddy, he told me he was her Boyfriend."

Brandon and Eileen exchanged glances. It was apparently serious. It sounded as if they might be intimate.

"Does Leonard live at the farm?"

"No, he has a hotel, but he comes to the farm every day."

"Does he ever sleep there?"

"Just a couple times. He was there for Christmas eve. I was afraid he would stop Santa from coming, because he was in the living room."

Then getting impatient with all the questions, Sara asked, "Don't you want to see my drawings?"

Eileen quickly answered, "Of course, Sara."

Sara laid out the one depicting the farm buildings. "That's the house, that's the shed, that's the barn, that's where the chickens live, and that's the stable. The little horse is Daisy, she's who I ride. The big one is Dallas, Mommy rides her."

Eileen now saw an opening. The size of the stable showed clearly that Sara was into horses. She spoke up. "You know, I ride horses, too."

Sara looked up and acted interested for the first time, "You do?"

"Yes, in fact, I actually won some awards for jumping when I was younger."

"Really? I saw that on TV once. I thought it would be fun to do. Did you have your own horse?"

"Of course, her name was Moonbeam."

"Do you still have her?"

"No, I'm afraid she died."

"That's too bad, do you have any horses now?"

"Not yet, but Brandon and I are building a new house and we are going to have a stable with lots of horses."

Sara was obviously impressed. Then she remembered her other drawing. "And this one is the family."

Brandon and Eileen had to struggle to cover their dismay when they saw Sara obviously thinking of Leonard as part of the family, especially with him together with Penny and Sara.

Recovering, Brandon said, "Those are very good drawings. Thank you for showing us. Can we show you some pictures, too?"

"Sure."

Brandon opened his briefcase and took out some photographs. He then started to spread them out on the table.

"This is the land we are building the house on. There will be plenty of room to ride and play. We will also have swings and slides to play on. You'll be able to play lots of games on a computer and watch whatever you want on your own TV. It will be right in your room."

Sara interrupted, "I'd have a room of my own?"

"Of Course, Sara, and you can decorate it any way you want."

Sara thought how nice it would be to have her own room. Jeremy was her best friend, but it would be nice to be alone sometimes. Then she wondered if Jeremy would have his own room too. Then it hit her; Jeremy wouldn't be there. Nor would her Mommy or Grandpa and Grandma or Bridget. None of the horses would be Daisy or Dallas and she would never get to ride with Mommy or watch Leonard learn to ride fast.

Brandon and Eileen were going on about all the wonderful things there would be for her, but she was no longer interested.

Finally, they finished. "Well, how did that sound? We also want you to know that someday when you are older, you can go to any college you would like. You will be able to be whatever you want."

Then, Brandon took his shot. "Sara, we want to be able to give these things to you. We want you to know that we want you to live with us. We want to be your family. We know that Eileen will never replace your mommy, but we will do everything to make you happy. Isn't that what you mother would want for you?"

Sara was beginning to understand what was going on, what her mother had been trying to tell her. She also believed that her father did want her. Wasn't that what she always wanted? Why did it not make her happy now?

She realized it was Leonard she loved. It was Leonard who she wanted to be her father. She was sure he would want that to. She couldn't imagine being away from them all.

She looked up at them, she hoped she could say what she wanted to say.

"It has been nice to finally meet you. Ever since I can remember, I have hoped for this, to meet you, to know my Daddy wants me. But, I don't know, it's different than I thought. I'm sure, Eileen, it would be fun to ride with you, but I want to ride with Mommy and Leonard. It would be fun to have my own room, but Jeremy is my best friend, I would miss him."

"I think I understand now that it may not be up to me. But if it is, I would choose to live with Mommy."

Brandon and Eileen looked sadly at each other. Then Eileen said, "Thank you for telling us that. But we need to do what we think is best. We know you would have a better future with us. We hope if it is decided that you do come to live with us, that you will give us a chance to show you that we can make you happy. Will you promise to give us that chance?"

Sara wasn't sure what to say, but she was beginning to face the fact it could happen. She did not hate them and she was sure they would do what they could for her.

"Yes, I can promise that."

Eileen smiled, "Thank you, Sara."

Brandon stood up, "I think this would be a good place to leave it at." He smiled down at Sara, "It has been wonderful to finally meet you. Whatever happens, know that I and Eileen care about you and only want is best for you."

Sara got up too. "I'm glad I got to know you."

Eileen rose too, as Sally and Betty came up to them. Sally was getting the pictures from Sara, when Brandon broke in, "Can we have those? Would that be okay, Sara?"

Sara looked up a little surprised, "Okay."

Brandon took them and put them in his briefcase. "Thank you. Goodbye, Sara."

Eileen echoed, "Goodbye, Sara."

As she followed after Sally, Sara turned and said, "Goodbye."

Sally and Sara got their coats on and went out the door. They walked quietly to Sally's car. As Sally got Sara in her car seat, she asked, "Are you okay, Sara?"

"Yes, I'm okay. Are we going home now?"

"Yes."

As they drove away, Sally thought back to what she had seen. She had to let Henry know that they might have to rethink their strategy and what the odds were for the trial. She knew that Henry was not sure how big a part Sara would play, or if she would make any impact. From what Sally had seen, this kid was a Rock Star.

 **A/N Thanks again for your input. I just am amazed at your ideas and perspectives.**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N Still own nothing**

Sally pulled her car into the yard at the farm and helped Sara out of her seat, then walked with her toward the house. They were met at the back door by Penny and Leonard.

Penny spoke up first, trying to cover her concern, "Well, how did it go?"

Sally answered, "It went very well." Looking down at Sara, "You can be proud of her."

Penny smiled down at Sara, but noticed she seemed a little subdued.

Sally went on, "I better get back to the office. You should hear from Mr. Thompkins tomorrow about setting up a meeting to discuss what happened today and the status of the case with you." She then looked at Sara again, "Goodbye, Sara."

Sara said quietly, "Goodbye."

As Sally and Leonard returned to her car, switching the car seat again, Sara and Penny went into the house. Once inside, after Sara had taken off her coat and entered the kitchen, Penny asked, "Are you all right, Sara, you seem kind of quiet."

Leonard came in, just in time to hear Penny's question.

"I'm fine, Mommy. Can I go up and change?"

"Of course, Honey, just lay the dress on the bed so it doesn't get wrinkled."

After Sara left and went up the stairs, Penny turned to Leonard, "I don't like this, I wonder if something happened."

"I don't know, but Sally did say everything went well. I'm sure it was exciting and maybe a little stressful for Sara, she probably just needs some time to unwind."

"You're probably right. Well, I have to get to work. Could you stay for a while, maybe for supper, just in case Sara does want to talk about it?"

"Of course, although she may want to talk to your family."

"You know she seems to like to confide in you. Call me if you find out anything."

"Okay, but don't worry, I am sure everything is all right."

They exchange a kiss and Penny heads out.

By the time Sara comes back down, the rest of the family is back in the house. Susan and Bridget are in the kitchen starting supper while Wyatt, Leonard, and Jeremy are watching TV.

Wyatt spoke up, "Hey, Sara, how did it go?"

"It was fine, Grandpa."

Leonard had discussed Penny's concerns with the rest and Wyatt now snuck a look to Leonard conveying he saw what they had meant.

Sara then spoke back up, "I know it's late, but do you think there is time for Leonard and me to go see the horses. I missed my afternoon ride." She then turned to Leonard, "If that's okay with you?"

Leonard smiled, "Sure, Sara." Turning to Wyatt, "We'll be back as soon as we can."

Wyatt smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, the girls are just starting, you should have plenty of time."

Leonard and Sara got their coats and walked without talking to the stable. They went in, and as they were feeding the horses their customary carrots and rubbing their noses, Sara spoke quietly without looking at Leonard, "Leonard, could I talk to you about something?"

Leonard answered back, trying to keep his voice nonchalant, "Of course, Sara, what would you like to talk about?"

"Ever since I knew there was something strange about my Daddy; that I didn't know his name, I thought about what it would be like if I ever found out. I used to ask Mommy about him, but she just said they didn't get along and that they decided I would live with her. That he did love me though."

She went on, "It seemed to upset her, so I quit talking about him. But, I still thought about what would happen if I ever did meet him. The one thing I was sure of was that we would both be happy to see each other, that we would give each other a big hug."

She turned to look at Leonard, "But, today, when it happened, I didn't hug him. I always thought we would be like Daddy and daughter, that we would just love each other. But, he was just a stranger."

Now she looked entreatedly at Leonard, "What's wrong with me? Why don't I love my Daddy?"

Leonard felt like his heart would break, not knowing what he could say, he went to her and picked her up and hugged her to him, as she put her arms around his neck. He finally got out, "Sara, there is nothing wrong with you. You have to believe that."

Sara, speaking into his shoulder, "Then why don't I love him? Why didn't he try to hug me?"

Leonard gently let loose of Sara and put her back on the ground. Then he took her hand and led her over to a bench in the corner of the stable. He had her sit down and sat down next to her.

Knowing he needed to say something, he took a deep breath, "Sara, first of all, Brandon will always be your Daddy, nothing will ever change that. But, five years ago, he made a choice. He chose to let you live with your mother, to not be a part of your life. He chose not to be with you as your father."

"I know all this is confusing to you and that is very unfair. Because you are innocent in this. None of this is your fault. But please remember this, Sara, your Grandpa and Grandma, Bridget and Jeremy, and your Mother love you very much and they will always love you, no matter how this all comes out."

"Then, looking into her face, he smiled; "And I need you to know this as well, I love you like you were my own daughter."

Sara's eyes widened. Then she said, "He says he wants me now. He wants me to come and live with him. Is that bad?"

Leonard was really struggling now. "No, Sara, that's a good thing. It means whatever happens, you will be with people that want you."

Sara spoke quietly, "If everyone wants the best for me, why don't you just ask me?"

"What do you want, Sara?"

"I want you to be my Daddy and marry my Mommy and we live here on the farm with everyone."

Leonard smiled ruefully to himself, 'you asked'.

"That is a good choice, Sara, and we would like that too. But unfortunately, there are a lot of different ways this could work out. Just please remember what I told you. Above all, don't feel bad about how you feel and what you want."

As he looked at Sara, Leonard knew he had failed miserably trying to explain, but how could he explain things to her, when he couldn't control what happens or even understand all the possibilities himself.

They finished with the horses and headed back to the house, hand in hand. Leonard was relieved to see that Sara seemed to have taken at least some solace from what he said and seemed more herself.

He called and left Penny a message to call him. When she called him after work, he told her what he and Sara had said. She felt sad about what Sara was going through, but assured him she thought he had done about as much as anyone could. She said she had to admit she was moved about what Sara said she wanted. She finally said that until the decision was made, they were all feeling their way. At least it would be over, one way or another, in just fifteen days.

Betty Winston entered the conference room and saw that she was the last to arrive. Even though she was a couple minutes early, she was embarrassed when she saw who was present. Mr. Hamilton was sitting at the head of the table. Betty was surprised to see Carrie Stevens sitting to his right. Betty knew she seldom left her house and the fact she was here highlighted her interest in the case. Brandon and his wife Eileen were to her right. Betty had to admit that marriage had been good for him. He seemed much more down to earth and serious about his work. Warren was sitting across from Brandon and she went and sat down next to him, murmuring her apologies for being late.

Hamilton spoke first, "Don't worry Betty, actually you are right on time. All right, let's get started." Turning to Eileen, "If you don't mind, to avoid confusion, it is okay if we refer to you as Eileen?"

Eileen smiled and said, "That will be fine."

Hamilton continued, "Thank you. As you all are aware, Brandon and Eileen, accompanied by Betty, traveled to Omaha on Wednesday to meet with the child. The purpose of this meeting is to get her report first hand and determine where we are and what we need to do in the next two weeks. I will assume you all have read Betty's written summary. Although recording devices were not permitted, she has an excellent memory and I am sure we have a fairly complete record of what happened. Well, Betty, I'll turn it over to you."

"Thank you, Mr. Hamilton. As he said, you have my written transcript. What it does not show is how poised and endearing this child is…"

Just then Brandon interrupted, "Her name is Sara."

Everyone looked at him quizzically, including his wife. But then as he continued, her eyes softened and she touched his knee under the table.

Brandon continued, "She is not 'the child', her name is Sara."

Confused, Betty looked at Hamilton, who nodded. She then continued, "Sara seems older than four. She is going to be a compelling witness for the defense. I thought that Eileen was really making progress with her because of their shared love of horses, but she later dismissed that and the lure of what she could have as far as wealth, and strongly said she wanted to be with her mother."

She continued, "Then there is the question of this guy Leonard. She seems to be very close to him. She even drew a picture showing her, Leonard, and her mother as a group away from the others. Brandon obtained the picture before we left. That's about all I have."

Hamilton spoke back up. "I assume we all know this Leonard that she is referring to. His full name is Dr. Leonard Hofstadter and he just won a Nobel Prize. He and Miss Prentis are apparently in a serious relationship. Thank you, Betty. Brandon, do you and Eileen have anything to add?"

Brandon looked a little uncomfortable and hesitant, but getting an encouraging look from his wife, he started to speak, "When the question of filing for custody came up, I have to admit I was not overly excited about it to say the least. I only went along because it was important to Eileen. I really thought it would be low key and our business. But then Grandmother," he looked straight at her, "who originally was against it, not unreasonably said if we were going to do it, we should do it right and win it. That's when it became the important case it is today. Although I was not happy with her at the time, I am strongly grateful to her now, because I now really want to win this case."

Hesitating and taking a sip of water, he continued, "When I saw Sara, I was amazed how my feelings changed. Suddenly, she was a real person, my flesh and blood. I could see features of me, my mother and grandmother in her face. I realized I wanted to do everything I could to give her the kind of life she deserves."

Aside from his wife, the others at the table looked at him in amazement. They had never seen Brandon express this type of emotion.

He took another drink of his water and then turned and took two sheets of paper out of his briefcase. "These are the pictures that Betty referred to. The one of the farm buildings is of little interest, except it shows her love of horses. But in the other, you can see the family is broken into two groups. Now, they are mostly just stick figures, but only three characters do not have dresses. By its size, one of them in the large group must be the sister's boy. The larger male figure there is almost assuredly her grandfather. The only other man who would appear in the pictures is Leonard. Since one of the girl figures with him is small, it must be Sara."

Brandon continued, "Now, that I have shown you this, I'm not sure if it hurts our case or can it some way help it. Anyway, that's all I have. I do want to say I do agree with Betty, that I was impressed by Sara."

Hamilton spoke next, "Thanks, Brandon. If no one else has anything to add, I'll turn it over to Warren. Well, Warren, where are we? I like you to give your summary of how, in your opinion, this effects the case, its current status, and most importantly, is there anything we need to do in these last two weeks."

Warren got comfortable and began. "I take three things out of the meeting with the…Sara. One of them is good for us, one is bad, and I frankly am not sure the effect of the other. The good is that Brandon seems to be fully on board now. One of our biggest weaknesses is that he walked away from her five years ago and disowned her. Our defense against that is that he has realized his mistake and wants to do what is best for Sara. Frankly, I was worried whether the judge would buy Brandon's sincerity. That appears to no longer be a problem. The bad news of course is what you say about Sara. Between the transcript and what had been added today, it is apparent she could have a strong effect on the trial. But, all of this comes down to the judge. In the end, she is still a four-year-old girl and the Judge will decide on what he thinks is best for her welfare."

Taking a sip of water, he continued, "As far as Leonard and his relationship with Sara and the defendant, it seems to be an X factor. I am not sure how it will be perceived by the judge. I do feel that we should not raise the issue. I am not sure that the other side will either. There is a possibility of it being good or bad for both sides. If they do raise it, I'll have to deal with it then."

"As far as the status of the case, it does appear to lean toward them. But, as I have said, it is almost impossible to forecast what will happen once we get in the court room. So much depends on what the judge thinks is important. We have researched this Patrick Nelson, but cannot determine any pattern of action. He just seems to judge the case before him."

"As for what we need to do, I don't see anything we can do. We are already tailing both Leonard and Miss Prentis twenty-four hours a day. If there is anything that occurs that we can use against their characters, we should know about it. That's all I have."

Hamilton said, "Thank you Warren. Well, unless anyone has anything…" Hamilton could barely hide a grimace when Carrie Stevens broke in to speak.

"It is hard for me to stomach all that I have listened to this morning." She turned to Brandon, "So, all of a sudden, you are a loving father. You haven't given a crap for this kid for the last five years. You couldn't have been happier when I got her and that gold digging mother off your back. Then you let Eileen talk you into this custody case, against my advice, as you remember. Then I get you one of the best law firms in the country to make sure we win. Now, there seems to be a lot of doubt about that. It's time to end this. She took money once, she'll take it again. Offer her $500,000 and she'll give that brat up."

Before anyone else could recover from their shock, Brandon turned on her. It was a Brandon that his grandmother had never seen, he was livid.

"I can't believe this. I know you are selfish and think you know what is best for everyone, but I didn't know you could be this cruel and unfeeling, especially to your own flesh and blood. That 'brat' is your granddaughter, my daughter. I am ashamed to say that you are right, I have been every bit as bad as you are now. Penny took that money because she wanted to stop me from taking Sara away from her. I realize now how much that baby meant to her. It's not her fault that she is in the position she is now. But, however she got there, I really believe Sara will be better off with Eileen and me. But, that is for a judge to decide. If we were to offer her that money, it would blow the case up in our face." Then he smirked, "But, I do admit that it's too bad I will never see the look on your face when Penny would tell you where you could put your money."

In a steely voice, he continued, "You are my Grandmother and you did make it possible for getting this law firm to push the case, but if you ever bring this up again, or dismiss Sara again, I promise you that you will never see me or Eileen again."

Then, getting to his feet, "Let's go, Eileen, we are done here." Looking proudly at her husband, Eileen followed him out.

 **A/N Sorry this took so long. Now I know what you all mean when you say real life has a way of interfering. Think I can get back on track. Thank you again for all your wonderful support.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N It still doesn't belong to me.**

After Wednesday's excitement, things returned to normal on Thursday. There were however, two phone calls that were of importance. First, Bernadette called to verify she and Amy would be flying down for the weekend. They would arrive Friday night at nine o'clock and fly out Monday morning at eight o'clock. When they asked Leonard to get them a hotel room, he was able to obtain one where he was staying.

The second call was from Sally, informing them of a meeting at the law office at ten o'clock Friday morning to discuss Sara's meeting with Brandon and the current status of the case.

When Penny and Leonard arrived at the office, they were escorted to a conference room where they found Sally and Henry waiting for them, sitting beside each other on one side. After exchanging greetings, Leonard and Penny sat down opposite them.

Henry spoke up, "We decided to meet here because Mr. Hays informed me he wishes to be in on the meeting. Assume you guys don't have any problem with that?"

Leonard answered, "No, of course not, will be good to see him again and honored he wants to attend."

Just then the door opened and Mr. Hays entered. As everyone started to rise, he motioned for them to remain seated and took a seat at the head of the table.

He then turned his head to Penny and Leonard, "It is a pleasure to see you again. Hope everything is well with you and your family."

Penny answered, "We're all good. Getting a little nervous about what's going to happen."

Hays continued, "That's only natural. I hope we can help a little by letting you know where we stand."

He then turned to Henry, "I guess we're ready to proceed."

"Yes, Sir. As you are all aware, Sara had her meeting with the plaintiffs yesterday. Sally was our representative there. Sally, why don't you get us started by giving us your impressions of how it went."

Sally checked her notes and began, "The first thing I was looking for was their initial reaction to each other. We were wondering if the excitement of meeting him would create a possible connection between them. It turned out she made no display at all. It was as if he was a stranger. They did not hug at the end either."

Leonard then interrupted her, "Excuse me for breaking in, but I think I have something I could contribute to that." Seeing the others were waiting, he continued, "That evening, after Penny had gone to work, Sara asked if we could go out to the stables. She then asked me what was wrong with her that she couldn't love her Daddy. It bothered her they didn't even hug. She said he was like a stranger to her."

Leonard then hesitated, but continued, "She also told me she wanted me to be her Daddy and marry Penny."

After a moment, during which Penny put her hand on his, Henry asked, "How did you reply?"

"I really didn't know what to say. I told her how all of her family and I loved her, that it was understandable that she felt that way about Brandon, since he hadn't been a Daddy to her. I also told her it was a good thing she wanted me to be her Daddy, but I just didn't know what was going to happen. Later she asked if it was a bad thing that her Daddy wanted her now. I told her no, that it just meant she would be with someone who wanted her whatever happened."

Hays now spoke up, "I think you handled it well. It was good you avoided speaking badly about the guy." After a moment he said, "If you don't want to answer this, I understand, but I think we need to know. What is the status of your relationship?"

Penny answered, "Leonard and I have discovered we still have strong feelings for each other and are serious about trying to make to work. Right now, we are kind of feeling our way until the trial is over."

Hays, looking a little embarrassed, "Again, I think I need to ask, have you been intimate yet?"

Leonard answered this time, "No."

Hays then turned to Sally, "Guess we took off on a little tangent there. Will you continue?"

"Of course, Sir. Sara had drawn two pictures that she brought with her. One of them was of the farm showing the buildings. It was apparent from it how important horses are to her. The other was of the family and Leonard. It showed Leonard, Penny, and Sara in a separate group from the others."

Henry broke in, "Do we have those pictures available?"

Sally looked a little worried, "No, Mr. Stevens asked Sara if he could have them and she said yes. Should I have stopped him?"

Henry reassured her, "No, they were Sara's pictures, she could do what she wanted with them."

Sally continued, "Then, Mr. Stevens asked Sara about Leonard. She said he was her Mommy's boyfriend. He then tried to find out if Leonard and Penny had ever stayed a night together, but she told him the times he did, he slept on the couch. It wasn't that direct but that's how it came out."

"Well, then, Mr. and Mrs. Stevens tried to sell themselves to Sara. They told her about the big place they would live with lots of horses. They told her she would have her own room with toys and her own TV. It also turned out that Mrs. Stevens evidently had been riding horses her whole life and had even competed in jumping when she was young. At the time, I was wondering if she was lying, but I checked the internet and she was telling the truth."

"It seemed for a time that they had Sara's attention, but then she seemed to think of something and just went silent after that. Mr. Stevens then went directly to it and said they wanted Sara to come and live with them. But Sara said she wanted to ride with her Mommy and wanted to live on the farm with her family like she did now."

"That was about it. The Stevens then said they respected that but still felt she would be better off being with them." She then stopped a moment. "I think they were being sincere. I got the impression they really think they are doing what is best for Sara."

Penny and Leonard looked at each other, but didn't say anything.

Sally then smiled and said. "As I told Penny and Leonard, she did a great job. She is so poised and mature for someone her age. I think she will make a great witness."

Hays turned toward her and smiled, "Thank you, Sally. That was well done." Then, turning to Henry, he said, "Are you ready to give us an idea of where we are? I know you had already discussed this with Sally."

Henry answered, "I'm ready. Does anyone want anything before I start?"

After everyone was replenished with water or coffee, Henry started.

"It now seems that the case will come down to basically three groups of witnesses. The first will be Brandon and his wife. As you know, one of our strong points is Brandon coercing Penny into signing that contract five years ago and then making no effort to see Sara for those same five years. However, I also pointed out that what was more important is how Brandon would act now. Their only defense was that he had changed and now truly wanted what was best for Sara. They have already stipulated the facts in the past, showing they are counting on Brandon convincing the judge of his sincerity. I had hoped that he would not be able to do so, assuming he would be just doing what he had to. But from what Sally saw, it appears he truly is sincere about this and therefore has a good chance of having the judge believe him. It is thus possible that we will not receive a large gain in this area."

"The second important set of witnesses will be Penny and her family. It will be their job to have the judge understand what sacrifices Penny has made and the work she has done to give Sara a loving home. Will also give us a chance to illuminate what Brandon's actions five years ago meant to Sara and Penny personally, thus hoping to hurt him more on that issue. We will also take on the stripper matter, describing how safe the work environment is. I think this is the area their lawyer will attack on cross examination, asking about the other strippers, especially Doreen and Juanita. We have had our investigators look into Juanita's past and cannot see anything that makes us believe she was a whore in New York. As for Doreen, the problem is her choice in men. It appears that Doug Cummings might have convinced her to leave him."

"The final witness is Sara. I trust Sally's judgement on this and believe she will be an excellent witness."

"If these are the deciding factors, I believe we have an advantage, always with the proviso that anything can happen in court."

"There are two other factors that could affect it. One that we have discussed before, that something could happen at the club or somewhere else with one of the employees, especially a stripper. That still is beyond our control, but with only two weeks left, I like our odds."

The last factor is Penny and Leonard's relationship. I think there are good and bad possibilities for both. Since you have a history from before and because of the fact that Leonard is a Nobel Prize winner and a highly respected individual, I believe we are protected from any attacks on Penny for being with someone. The only downsides I see are one, that it does make a change from the status quo, which is our main selling point about the importance of keeping Sara with Penny and her family on the farm. Second, that you may break up, thereby hurting Sara. But they are more than offset by the possibility you will get together, provide a two-parent family for Sara, and presumably let Penny leave stripping."

"How to handle this issue is where their lawyer and I will earn our money. Depending on how we feel the trial is going, we will have to decide how and if we want to introduce this to the trial. For now, since I believe we have the advantage, I suggest we avoid bringing it up ourselves. It is possible Sara may bring it up herself but we will deal with that if it happens. In conjunction with what I just said, remember not to try to influence Sara in any way about her testimony. As I said before, that is the first thing the judge will check for."

"Well, that's about it. Just keep diligent and avoid any possible bad situations. I have heard that a local detective agency has been hired to check out what you are doing. Apparently, they even have sources within the club itself; so be careful, Penny, what you say."

"Does anyone have any questions?"

Penny spoke up, "I think we told you about this possibly happening before, but two of our friends are flying down from Pasadena tonight and staying through the weekend."

Henry smiled, "I assume they are not drug users or anything bad, and that neither of you had a relationship with one of them."

Penny smiled back, "No, they are both Doctors, one in Microbiology and one in Neurology. They are both happily married to a former astronaut and the man who won the Nobel Prize with Leonard."

Hays, also smiling, "It is amazing to me Penny, what a remarkable group of people you have as friends."

Henry came back in, "There is one more thing. Sally will be coming out to the farm sometime next week to go over your testimonies with you Penny, and the rest of your family. We will call you when we have a date and time."

Hays finished up, "Then, if there are no more questions, I believe we are done. As always, if you have any questions or problems, give Henry or Sally a call. It was nice to see you again and thank you for your time."

As everyone got up, Leonard thanked them all and especially Mr. Hays for all they had done.

Bernadette had called and said they had decided to get a rental car of their own so they would have more flexibility and not depend on Leonard. They told him they would meet him at the hotel. Penny thought of coming over after work but they all decided they would need some sleep after their flight. They agreed to meet at the farm in the morning.

It was almost eleven o'clock by the time Bernadette and Amy got checked into their room and knocked on Leonard's door. Leonard let them in and gave them each a big hug. Then he invited them to sit down and asked if they wanted anything.

Bernadette answered, looking at Amy, "No, thanks, we are pretty tired and just want to talk for a little bit. Everybody misses you."

Amy interjected, "Even Sheldon, although he says he just wishes you would go back to work, I can tell he misses his Little Buddy."

Leonard smiled and said, "I miss you all too, even Sheldon."

Bernadette got serious, "How are you doing, Leonard?"

"I'm fine, it's really been great for the most part. Will be glad when this trial thing is over though." He quickly added, "When we win."

Amy asked, "How does it look, what does your lawyer say?"

"Actually, we just were at his office today. He said he thought we had the best chance. But he always adds, anything could happen in the courtroom."

Then Amy asked, "How is it going between you and Penny?"

"It's good. I think, except for no sex, we are closer that we have ever been. Everything is kind of in limbo right now with the trial."

Then he continued, "Speaking of Penny, she called while you were in the air and wondered if you would like to have a girl's night/day tomorrow with her friend Cherie at Cherie's apartment. Would start about noon. Then, when they go to work, you can come out to the farm and spend some time with Sara."

Bernadette answered, "That sounds good." Then she hesitated and looked at Amy. "Leonard, I wanted to apologize for what happened when Penny told us she was a stripper the other day. Howard can still be such an Ass sometimes." Seeing Leonard about to say something, she hurried on, "I know, to a lesser degree, the rest of us were pretty bad too. The only excuse we have is that it really caught us off guard. We talked it over and we want to apologize and let her know that we appreciate what she had to do."

Leonard answered, "I'm glad you feel that way, but it's Penny you need to apologize to. If it helps, she mentioned how she did break it to you just like that."

Bernadette looked at her watch, "Well, I'm ready to give it up, how about you, Amy."

Amy stifled a yawn and nodded. Exchanging goodnights, the girls left.

The next morning, Amy and Bernadette slept in and then met Leonard for brunch. He gave them the addresses for the farm and Cherie's apartment to put in their GPS. Then he took off for the farm as they headed over to Cherie's apartment.

When they knocked on Cherie's door, they were met by Penny and hugs and crying ensued. Finally, Cherie, who had been watching happily, said, "Okay, that's enough, the only crying in here is done by me over my love life or lack thereof."

Dabbing at her eyes, Penny broke away and said, "Amy and Bernadette, this is my friend Cherie Hudson. Cherie, these are my friends, Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz and Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper. They exchanged hellos as Cherie commented, "Boy, those names are a mouthful."

Penny smirked, "I could have put Doctor in front of both of them."

Cherie smiled, "Well everyone find a seat. Who wants wine?"

When everyone got seated and had a glass in hand, Bernadette started, "Penny, before we go any further, I want to apologize for the way Howard and the rest of us reacted when you told us you were a stripper. I just want you to know that we were wrong to be judgmental, especially as how you needed to find something to help your family."

Penny smiled and said, "That's okay, I reacted the same way when Cherie first suggested I check into doing it."

Amy spoke up, "Cherie, how long have you known Penny?"

Cherie smiled, "Since Middle School, my family moved to Nebraska when I was in the seventh grade. We were almost inseparable for the next two years. In high school, we were still friends but had discovered boys. When we were fourteen, we wanted to lose our virginity in the worst way. And that's how we both did it."

Penny smiled, "Larry Branson, he barely managed to deflower me before he came. If I would have judged sex by that encounter, I would had have given it up." She smirked, "But I came to like it."

Cherie smiled, "You just followed in Bridget's footsteps. The Prentis girls, known for their hospitality."

Penny snapped back, "You weren't exactly Mother Teresa either."

"At least I didn't give it up at seven proms."

Amy broke in, "How do you go to seven proms?"

Penny answered, "I went to both the Junior and Senior proms when I was a freshman, sophomore, and junior. It wasn't cool to go to the Junior prom when you were a senior."

Bernadette spoke up, "I bet you went with the captain of the football team."

Penny answered, "Actually, I didn't, but I did make out with him when I was a senior when his date was throwing up."

Cherie glowered at her, "And I still don't forgive you."

After getting a refill, Amy asked, "Cherie, did you start stripping right away?"

"No, actually I went to New York to become a star. But I had just about as much luck as Penny. I did have my moment though. I actually appeared in a Broadway play, in the chorus line. I was on stage for a total of twelve minutes. Unfortunately, the play folded after one night." She raised her glass, "To my twelve minutes of fame."

They sipped quietly for a few minutes, and then Bernadette asked, "Penny, what's going on between you and Leonard? Leonard said it was good between you but the trial was kind of leaving everything in limbo."

Penny took another drink and then turned to the others, "It has been good, actually great. He spends almost every day with us at the farm. We have waited to make love until we know we are committed to each other." She went on, "You should see him with Sara. They are like father and daughter. He told me he loved her like she was his daughter."

She hesitated a little, then continued quietly, "Once, when Leonard and I were alone, although I couldn't bring myself to say it, I mean I just don't how the trial will affect us all, I kind of let him know I loved him."

Bernadette and Amy's eyes widened. Bernadette spoke up, "That's wonderful, Penny, because I know he loves you."

Penny looked at her, "I know, but I am still a little scared. If it somehow doesn't work out between us, what will it do to Sara? She told Leonard she wanted him to be her Daddy. And what will happen if we lose her?"

Everyone was tearing up. Bernadette came over and gave her a hug. "Oh, Penny, I just know it will work out. No judge would take a child away from her mother who loves her like you do."

They held each other, crying softly as Amy laid her hand on Penny's shoulder.

After a while, Cherie, who was also wiping her eyes, spoke up, "Okay enough of this. Since none of us can get drunk, there's no value in getting emotional. If we don't find something to do, I'll start talking about the string of losers I've dated, and we will really all get depressed. I know, let's play a game."

Penny said, "Okay how about Never have I ever."

Amy spoke up, "How is that played?"

Once again amazed how little she knew, Penny explained, "You say something you haven't done, and if any of the other players have done it, they have to take a drink."

Amy continued, "That sounds easy enough, who's going to start?"

Bernadette said, "I'll go first. Never have I ever gone to more than one Prom."

Penny yelled, "That's not fair, I just told you about that."

Bernadette smirked, "All's fair in love and girl's night games."

Penny took a drink, still muttering. Then Cherie took one, too.

Amy then offered to go next. "Never have I ever had sex with more than one man."

As the others took a drink, Cherie exclaimed, "Just one guy?"

Amy smiled, "Yes, just my sweet Sheldon."

Penny smirked, "It's only fair, Sheldon never did it with anyone else either."

Cherie just shook her head, then said, "Okay, my turn. Never have I ever slept with a doctor."

As the others took a drink, Penny turned to Cherie, "You never slept with a medical doctor?"

Cherie looked stunned and then mumbled, "I meant you guys kind of doctors."

Penny said, "But that's not what you said, take a drink."

Then she turned to Bernadette, "Howard's not a doctor, is he?"

Bernadette smiled, "No, but Glenn was."

Penny asked, "Glenn?"

Bernadette said, 'Yeah, that tall guy that drove you back to Los Angeles from the seminar that time."

Penny stared, "You had sex with him?"

Bernadette glared, "You too? Howard thought he was too hot for me too."

Then Bernadette smiled, "You should have seen Howard, he was all uptight because he was worried about the size of Glenn's penis and that I would find him lacking. You know, because Glenn was so tall."

Cherie smiled and asked, "Was it proportional?"

Bernadette gave a big grin and said, "OH YEAH."

While everyone was laughing, Amy then jumped in, "Leonard got a ticket for going over one hundred miles an hour on the way back."

Penny, stunned, "Slow driving Leonard?"

Amy smirked, "He was so upset that you went home with Glenn, he didn't even notice what he was doing." She continued, "Did you sample that handsome stud yourself?"

Penny answered, "No, he was seeing someone and talked about her all the way back." Then, she got serious, "I almost slept with Leonard on that trip, I wonder if it would have made a difference…"

Cherie broke in, "Okay, it's your turn, Penny"

They played for a while longer and then sat around while they told Cherie about life back in Pasadena. Before they knew it, it was time for Penny and Cherie to head to work.

After saying goodbyes and how nice it was for them to meet Cherie and vice versa, Amy and Bernadette headed for the farm and Penny and Cherie to the club.

When Amy and Bernadette arrived at the farm, they were greeted warmly by everyone. It appeared though, they had come just as Leonard and Sara were heading out to the horses. Still not sure they believed Leonard actually was riding a horse, they went along. Sara regaled them on the way with how Leonard had been with the horses when he arrived.

They were amazed to see how proficient Leonard was at cleaning the stalls and saddling his horse. They also noticed how he had to take it slow in the stall to avoid triggering his allergies, and how Sara helped him after she finished with Daisy's stall. They also saw what Penny had mentioned, how well Sara and Leonard got along. As they watched them ride off together and were heading back to the house, Bernadette spoke up, "Penny's right, they seem like father and daughter." She went on, "If they don't end up together, I think they will really hurt Sara."

Amy said sadly, "They may never have the chance, depending on how the trial goes."

"Don't even think about that, Amy. They all deserve to have a chance, and I cannot let myself believe they won't get it."

Bernadette and Amy stayed for supper and afterwards sat with the family and heard Wyatt tell of the times when Penny was 'Slugger' before she unfortunately discovered boys. He also told them about her being in Junior Rodeo. They helped tuck Sara in before they returned to the hotel.

On Sunday, when everyone was gathered at the farm, Bernadette decided they all needed to take a break. To forget about the trial, to have some fun. When she learned there was a Six Flags over Omaha, she would not take no for an answer. So, everyone piled into two cars and headed out.

It turned out to be a wonderful day, with Sara and Jeremy having a great time. They also shamed Leonard into getting on to the roller coaster with Penny, Bernadette, Amy, and Bridget. Although he turned a little green, he managed to not throw up.

Moments they all remembered were Penny, Leonard, and Sara riding several rides together. They all felt the same thing, that they looked like a family.

After they got back to the farm, the kids and the grandparents were pooped and both went to bed early, but not before Sara and Jeremy thanked Bernadette and Amy for a wonderful day.

Leonard then headed back to the hotel, after saying goodbye to Bernadette and Amy, giving them each a hug and thanking them for coming.

After Bridget called it a night also, Penny, Bernadette and Amy sat in the living room in front of the fire.

Penny spoke first, "I can't thank you enough for today. You were right, Bernadette, it was just what everyone needed. It was wonderful having us doing something like this together."

Bernadette answered, "Believe me Penny, it was wonderful for us as well." After a moment, "It was great to see you with Sara and Leonard. It's obvious you all belong together."

Penny smiled, "You're right, but I just can't think of that until this is all over. I can't afford to want it and have it snatched from me."

They were all silent for a while, then Penny spoke back up, "It was so great to see you guys again. I have missed you so much. We need to be sure we never lose contact again."

Amy smiled and said, "It was amazing to see you again as well. We all missed you so much. Don't forget about the others though, you need to come and see us when this is over."

Penny answered, "I will. I can't wait to meet Isaac and see Sheldon as a father."

Bernadette looked over at her, tearing up, "Don't worry, Penny we're not going to let you get away again." Then, after hesitating for a moment, she decided to go ahead and say it. "And I have no doubt we will all be at your wedding with Sara as the flower girl."

Penny looked troubled for a moment, but then smiled, shaking her head, "Okay, I give up, you have a deal."

Amy then announced, "We should go. We want to be at the airport by six o'clock and we still have to pack."

Bernadette sighed and said, "I guess you're right," and rose to her feet.

They had a group hug, all ending up dabbing at their eyes. Penny walked them out to the car. "Thanks again so much for coming."

Bernadette answered, "It was our pleasure. We plan to keep in touch, we'll call you tomorrow when we get back."'

"Okay, Goodbye, have a safe trip."

"Goodbye, Penny. Say goodbye and thank everyone for us."

"I will."

Monday had been a long night at work for Penny. She had a lap dance request just before closing and the guy had turned out to be a real jerk. He kept making lewd comments and pushing the three-foot limit, reaching out but not quite touching her. She was about to walk away when she saw Howard come into the room so that the guy could see him. Everything was fine after that. But then, the guy didn't even give her a tip. As she put on her robe and was ready to leave, Howard said, "Do you want me to mess him up?" Penny knew he was kidding, but was tempted to tell him to go ahead.

After taking a quick shower, she got dressed and headed for the door, thinking how she was keeping Mike from going home. Then, to her surprise, she heard what sounded like sobs coming from behind her. She turned and to her amazement saw it was Juanita.

Instinctively, she went over to her. "Are you all right, Juanita? Anything I can do to help?"

Juanita was startled and looked up, wiping at her eyes. "Penny? I thought everyone was gone."

"Some jerk wanted a lap dance and then stiffed me for a tip."

Penny waited to see if Juanita gave any indication she wanted to talk, but as an uncomfortable silence continued, she turned to leave. She had gone a few steps when Juanita called after her, "Penny, wait."

She turned back and Juanita said, "I just got a phone call. My mother died."

Penny approached her, 'I am so sorry. Has she been sick?"

Juanita then shocked Penny by laughing out loud. After a moment she smiled and said, "Of course, you thought I was crying because I was sad she died. I was crying because I found out I actually give a crap."

Seeing the look on Penny's face, Juanita continued, "I haven't seen or heard from my mother for twenty years. I should be dancing for joy, but evidently she'll always be my mother." She gestured for Penny to sit down. Pulling the chair from Cherie's station, Penny sat down.

"My mother was a whore. She sold me to a pimp when I was twelve years old."

Penny's mind was still reeling, but then she remembered that Henry had said their detectives had found no evidence Juanita had been a whore. Why had they failed?

Juanita continued, "Of course, I had no idea which of her Johns my father was. I eventually got away and ended up out here."

Suddenly she got guarded, as if she had said too much. Penny tried to think of something to say but nothing seemed adequate. Finally, she said, "I am sorry. Maybe you just needed some closure."

Juanita smiled ruefully, "Maybe you're right. Sorry to bother you with this." After a hesitation, she said, "I hope everyone doesn't need to know about this."

"No, it's between you and me. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Good night."

"Good night, Juanita."

Just as she neared the door, she heard Juanita call out her name; she turned and looked back as Juanita came toward her and said, "I know I have been a bitch, and I would understand if you wouldn't want to have anything to do with me, but could we have lunch tomorrow?"

Penny heard a warning bell go off in her head, but she also realized this was the first time Juanita had ever reached out to any of them. I mean, it was just one lunch in a public place, how could it really hurt?

"Sure, I'd love to."

 **A/N This one got a little longer than usual, but couldn't find a place to stop. Thanks again for all your wonderful reviews. I hope you are all enjoying this as much as I am.**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N Still belongs to Chuck and Bill. Happy eleventh season. There is some violence in this chapter, nothing too graphic.**

Penny spent a restless night, wondering if she had done the right thing in agreeing to have lunch with Juanita.

Finally, she gave up about eight o'clock and called Leonard. Although he shared her concerns, he also thought it would have been wrong to reject her overture. They both agreed it needed to not go any further. Since she was going to be in town, Leonard decided to catch up some loose ends with Sheldon and stay at the hotel. They talked about maybe getting together in the afternoon. He told her to tell Sara he would see her tomorrow.

When Penny arrived at the Diner, Juanita was waiting. As Penny sat down across from her, Juanita said hello and thanked her for meeting with her. She went on to say, "I don't understand why my Mom's death is bothering me so much. I guess, in spite of what she did to me, I realize she had a pretty miserable life herself and I can't help feeling sorry for her."

The waitress came over and left a menu. As they were looking it over, Juanita cursed to herself. "I forgot I turned off my phone this morning, I had a terrible headache. I should check my messages."

She pulled out her phone and began to look at her messages. Suddenly she leaped to her feet, "That bitch, that stupid bitch."

She quickly dialed a number, saying, "Pick up, damn you, pick up."

As Penny looked at her, shocked and wondering what was going on, Juanita cancelled the call and started to leave. Instinctively, Penny followed after her, asking, "What's wrong, what's going on."

Juanita held up her hand to silence her, then dialed 911 on her phone. "Yes, this is Juanita Juarez, this is an emergency, you need to send someone to 4561 W 42nd. I will explain everything later. Someone's life could be in danger."

By this time, they had reached Juanita's car and she quickly got in. Still functioning on instinct, Penny got in on the passenger side. Juanita quickly started her car and pulled out into traffic. Watching the road, she started to speak, "A couple weeks ago, Jack went on a fishing trip with his buddies. Doreen had been telling Mama how he seemed to be getting worse toward her. She admitted he had told her she better not ever try to leave him or he would seriously hurt her."

Swerving through traffic, she continued, "Doug, Mama, and I managed to talk her into moving out while he was gone. Doug put her up in one of his rental houses. We wanted her to get a restraining order, but she wouldn't go that far. We told her to call one of us immediately if he tried to get in touch with her or found out where she was."

"Evidently, Doreen started to feel lonely and gave him a call. That bastard apparently talked her into believing that he loved and forgave her and wanted to get back together. She called me to tell me the good news, that he was coming over and they were going to get things right between them."

With Penny sitting there stunned, they continued to drive. Then, they came around a corner and Juanita came to a stop. She exclaimed, "Oh, shit."

She got out and ran toward a house with the front door open.

Penny followed her, still operating on momentum. When they entered the house, it was all Penny could do to avoid throwing up. Doreen was lying naked on her side facing them. At least Penny assumed it was Doreen because the face was battered beyond recognition. Jack was kneeling with his back toward them, his fists pounding into Doreen's lower torso, including her kidneys. What was most shocking was that he didn't sound angry, but just calmly saying, "I told you that you couldn't leave me, now I need to teach you a lesson."

Penny screamed at him, but he didn't even acknowledge her presence. She knew she couldn't pull him off and looked around for something to hit him with. Then, she saw Juanita walk by her, pulling up her pants leg and removing a knife from her boot. Without any sign of emotion, she walked up behind him, reached around and slit his throat.

Now Penny did lose it, throwing up on the floor. Then, fighting for control, she went over to Doreen, trying to avoid looking at her face. She checked for a pulse and was gratified to find one, albeit weak."

That moment, two uniformed cops came through the door. When they saw the bloody knife in Juanita's hand they drew their guns and ordered her to drop it and turn around. Juanita quickly complied. The male officer pulled her hands behind her and handcuffed her.

The female office came over to where Penny was. "Is she alive?" As Penny nodded, she checked the pulse herself. She pulled a phone from her waist, "I need an ambulance at this address, stat. Also, notify homicide."

Hanging up, she turned to Penny, "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm not hurt."

The officer helped her to a chair and asked, "Can you tell me what happened here?"

Suddenly, everything came rushing to Penny. She realized what she had done. She had lost Sara. Trying not to panic, she took a deep breath. Fighting to think clearly, she decided the best thing was to talk to Henry before she said anything to make it worse, if that was possible.

"I'd like to talk to my lawyer."

The officer looked a little disgustedly at her, but said, "All right, just let me frisk you for a weapon, and you can tell the Detectives when they get here." She quickly patted Penny down and had her sit back down. She then crossed over to where her partner and Juanita were and talked to him. Penny saw them look back at her but she really didn't care. The female officer then frisked Juanita and they had her sit as well.

Soon, they could hear sirens in the distance, and the ambulance crew came through the door with a gurney. Seeing Doreen, they did what they could to stabilize her and quickly hauled her out.

In addition to all that had happened, Penny was nauseated by the scents in the room, the only saving grace was that the door was still open. The male policeman went outside and kept people out of the yard.

Then two men in suits came through the door. They went to the woman policeman and Penny could hear her say that Juanita wasn't talking and the other one had lawyered up.

One of the detectives approached her, "I understand you asked for a lawyer?"

When Penny nodded, he said, "Are you sure you want to do that. Why don't we just get this over with?"

Penny was now calmer and knew what she needed to do. "Thank you, but I think I will wait until I can talk to my lawyer."

"All right. You can call him now. Tell him to come to the 52nd street station. Do you have a phone?"

Penny pointed to her purse that was lying on the floor near the door where she had dropped it. "In my purse."

He went and picked it up and brought it over. "Is it okay if I get it out for you?"

"That's fine."

He quickly went through the contents and handed her the phone. She quickly found and called Henry's number. When he answered, she was about to tell him what had happened when she realized the Detective was still close.

"Henry, this is Penny. I don't want to talk here. I'm being taken to the 52nd street police station."

Penny heard Henry do an intake of breath, then he continued calmly, "Have you told them anything?"

"No, I said I wanted a lawyer."

"Okay, that's good. Don't say anything until I talk to you. I'm leaving right away."

Penny gratefully, "Thanks, Henry."

The Detective came back over, "Okay, turn off your phone now, we're on our way to the station."

Penny turned it off as the female officer came over. The detective said to her, "Take them to the station, we'll be there as soon as CSU arrives."

She nodded and turned to Penny, "I'll have to handcuff you. It's standard policy when transporting anyone."

Penny nodded, but inside she just wanted to crawl away and hide. She kept her head down as they were taken out to the police car, trying to avoid thinking of what she looked like to the onlookers.

She and Juanita were placed in the back area of the police car. Juanita caught her eye and mouthed "I'm sorry."

Penny nodded, but turned her head, she was in no mood to have anything to do with Juanita.

When they reached the station, Penny was taken to Interrogation Room #2. In spite of herself, she had to smile that apparently Juanita had earned room number 1.

The policewoman removed the handcuffs and had her sit at the table. "Can you give me your name? Can I get you anything?"

"My name is Penelope Prentis. Yes, some water if I could."

The woman got her to spell it and wrote it on a sheet. She then left and returned with a bottled water. "Anything else?"

"No, thank you." Then, as she turned to leave, Penny said, "Is it possible to find out how Doreen is doing?"

"I assume that's the injured girl?"

When Penny nodded, she added, "I have to go back on patrol but I'll leave a message for the Detectives."

Penny sat and drank from her bottle, wondering what was going to happen to her and to Sara. Then, one of the Detectives entered the room. "Officer Daniels said you were inquiring about the Mason woman?"

"Yes, how is she?"

"All I know is that she was taken into surgery."

"Thank you."

Just then, she heard Henry's voice, "I am looking for Penelope Prentis, she told me she was being brought here."

The Detective went out into the hall. "I'm Detective Warren, and you are?"

"My name is Henry Thompkins, I represent Penelope Prentis; may I see my client?"

The Detective nodded and showed Henry into the room.

Henry came into the room and Penny couldn't help getting up and embracing him.

Henry released her and turned to the Detective. "I would like to talk to my client, will you make sure everything is turned off and that we're not disturbed."

The Detective nodded and left.

Henry had Penny sit down and sat down next to her.

Penny blurted out, "I really messed up. I'm going to lose Sara."

Henry put his hand on her shoulder. "All right, Penny, just settle down. Why don't you just tell me what happened."

Penny told him the whole story from when she heard Juanita crying. When she finished, she added, "I'm so sorry. You told me not to get involved with her and I didn't listen."

Henry looked her in the eye, "Listen to me, Penny. This would have happened if you were there or not. But right now, you need to forget about that. We will all discuss what affect it may have on the trial and what we may need to do, but that is for later. Right now, we have to concentrate on getting you out of here. I can't see where you should be in any trouble legally. I am assuming you have told me the complete truth and had no idea what was going to happen."

"No, I didn't, I have told you everything."

"Okay, now here is what is going to happen. I am going to inform Detective Warren that you are ready to make a statement. Just tell him what you told me. But, don't mention the custody suit and especially don't say anything like you screwed up or made a mistake. Can you do that, Penny?"

Penny managed to relax somewhat, "Yes, I can do that."

"Now, one more thing; either before you start, during your testimony, or afterward, he may ask some questions. Do not answer any of them until I give you the okay. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Henry got up and opened the door, speaking to the Detective outside, "Detective Warren, my client is ready to make a statement."

Warren came in the door and clicked a switch on the wall before he closed the door and came over and sat down across from Penny. He took out a pad and pen and placed them in front of him.

"Please be aware that this statement is being taped. If you have any objections, please state them now."

Penny looked at Henry who nodded that it was okay. Penny answered, "I have no objections."

"Do you affirm that this statement is being given of your own free will, and that you are under no duress."

Penny, glancing at Henry again, said, "Yes."

"Please state your full name, address, and occupation."

"Penelope Sue Prentis, 234 Rural Route 17, Omaha, Nebraska. I am a stripper at the _Gentlemen's Club_."

"Go ahead and make your statement."

Penny told the whole story again, being careful not to include any mention of the custody suit or Sara.

As she talked, Warren took some notes, but did not interrupt.

When she finished, he asked, "Did you know of the Juarez woman's past as a prostitute before last night?"

She looked at Henry, who had her lean over and whisper to him. He then nodded and she said, "There were rumors but that was it."

The Detective paused and then asked, "Did you know that Juanita Juarez is not her real name?"

Penny didn't need to look at Henry, her face said it all. She was completely stunned. "No, No, I didn't."

"Her real names is Maria Gonzales, she was a hooker in New York. Eight years ago, she killed her pimp," he paused for a moment, "With a knife."

Penny just looked horrified. Juanita had done this before?

Warren looked at her, "I assume you will say you knew nothing about that."

Penny said, "No, I didn't. I don't know anything about any of that."

Henry spoke up. "It is apparent my client had no knowledge of this woman's past. From her statement, you know she was an innocent bystander to this. I would like to take my client home now."

Warren got up, "I want to talk to my partner, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Penny turned to Henry, feeling herself tear up, "My God, this gets worse and worse."

"Don't worry, Penny, all you have to do is keep telling the truth. I just hope Maria or whatever her name is will back you up."

"I don't know if it means anything, but she tried to tell me she was sorry in the patrol car on the way here."

They sat back and waited for the Detective to return.

As Detective Paul Warren headed down the hall, he saw his partner, Miles Watkins, talking to an Assistant District Attorney, Jenny Masters.

"Hi, Jenny."

She turned, "Hi Paul. Did you finish with the Prentis woman?"

"Yeah, I think she's telling the truth. It seems like she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Well, our Maria/Juanita seems to back her on that. She wanted us to know that Penny had nothing to do with what happened, that she had no idea of what she was going to do and couldn't have done anything to stop it. She takes full responsibility for what happened. She also says she would do it again."

Miles spoke up, "It's just hard to believe that this Maria faced the same situation eight years ago. That time she stabbed her pimp because he was beating up another hooker. Only that time she stabbed him in the back."

Jenny smiled ruefully, "She said that time the guy hardly noticed the stabbings at first and continued to beat the girl. That time the girl died. This time she said she was going to make sure he stopped beating her at once."

Paul asked, "Well, what do you want us to do with them? I'm inclined to let the Prentis woman go, I believe her story."

Jenny answered, "All right, especially since Gonzales seems to back her up. We can cross check their stories later, but for now, I can't see that she did anything she could be charged with. Tell her she can go, but tell her to let the police know if she plans on leaving town."

Miles spoke up, "How about Maria? To tell you the truth, if it's my choice, I'd give her a medal. Did you see the pictures of the Mason girl? I can't believe they gave her a year in prison in New York."

Jenny answered, "It probably had something to do with the fact that they were all prostitutes and pimps. I tend to agree with you, but maybe they could have stopped him without killing him? In any case, we'll hold her for twenty-four hours. I'll discuss it with the District Attorney."

Paul Warren walked back to Interrogation room 2. He went in and told Henry and Penny that she was free to go, but to let the police know if she planned to leave town.

As Penny and Henry were heading down the hall to the exit, she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Doug Cummings coming toward them.

Penny, surprised, "Doug, what are you doing here?'

Before he answered, he said, "Hi, Henry."

Henry answered, "Doug."

A little sheepishly, he admitted, "When you run a strip club, it's good to have a source at the Police Department. You know, just in case someone might get called in…"

Ignoring Penny's look, he went on, "Anyway, I got alerted that you and Juanita had been brought in, with something about a killing. Well, of course I was stunned, but I called my lawyer and came down as soon as possible. They told me you already had a lawyer and that Juanita was giving her statement. I had my lawyer interrupt. Juanita agreed to have him represent her and they talked before she finished her statement."

Penny asked, "Doug, did you know anything about her being this Maria Gonzales?"

"God, no. It never showed up in our normal investigation. She must have covered up her past somehow."

Doug went on, "They still haven't decided what they are going to do. If or what they are going to charge her with. How about you?"

"They said I could go. I suppose they could still decide to do something."

Henry spoke up, "I think I should get Penny out of here."

Doug nodded, "Oh, Penny, I know this is something that doesn't mean anything right now, but I am closing the club at least tonight. If it's okay, I'll call you tomorrow and let you know what's going on."

"That's fine, Doug. Oh, have you heard anything about Doreen?"

"The last I heard, she was still in surgery."

"All right, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

They went out the door leading into the parking garage under the building. They got into Henry's car and left the station. Henry turned to Penny, "I suppose your truck is still at the Diner?"

"As far as I know."

They drove in silence to where Penny's truck was. As he pulled up next to it, Henry turned to Penny. "I know you think you have ruined everything. But I am telling you the truth, it is far from over. I'd be lying if I didn't say this won't help, but everything you did was because you were trying to be a good person. So, don't let it get you down. We'll see how things play out with Maria and get together in a couple days. I haven't given up or lost my belief we will win this case, and don't you either." He smiled, "After all, we all know what a great lawyer I am."

Penny managed a weak smile, "Okay, Henry, I'll try. I'll talk to you later."

"Goodnight Penny."

"Goodnight, Henry."

Penny got in the truck and discovered she was shaking. She managed to get a grip on herself. She took out her phone and saw she had a ton of messages. Checking them out she saw there were several from Leonard and her parents with one from Cherie.

She decided she better call her parents, they were probably climbing the walls. When her mother answered, she said, "Hi, Mom."

"PENNY, thank God, we've been worried sick. Where are you, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Listen, I have something to tell you. Promise you won't freak out until I finish, okay?"

"I'll try."

"I have been at the police station." She heard her mother's gasp but she didn't say anything. "I have not been arrested, they have let me go. I called Henry and he was there with me. I don't have time to explain everything, but just know I am okay and am not being charged with anything. I will explain everything to you tomorrow."

"And you expect me to think this is okay?"

"I'm sorry, Mom but I think it's better if I explain it to all of you face to face. Just believe me, I am fine and will see you tomorrow."

"We can wait up for you. We don't care how late it is."

"I'm not working tonight, Doug closed the club." She hesitated, "I need to talk to Leonard."

Her mother sighed. "All right, since we know you will be with Leonard, we will wait until tomorrow, but we want the whole story then."

"I will, Mom, I promise. Please try not to worry. Tell everyone I love them."

"I will. See you tomorrow."

Penny sighed as she hung up. She knew she was being selfish but she knew who she wanted to talk to, to be with.

She selected his number and when he answered, said, "Hey, Leonard, can I come over?"

 **A/N Thanks again to everyone and their wonderful reviews. I really enjoy reading them and appreciate and respect your suggestions and ideas. I have a feeling I have been affected by them in ways I probably don't completely realize.**


	25. Chapter 25

A **/N Still doesn't belong to me.**

When Leonard opened the door of his hotel room for Penny, she immediately gave him a big hug and teared up, said, "I really screwed up Leonard, I have badly hurt the custody case."

Leonard, who had been planning to ask her where she was all day and if she was okay, just hugged her back and then helped her off with her coat and took her over to the couch and sat down next to her. "Why don't you just tell me what happened?"

For the third time that day, Penny told the whole story, starting with the meeting at lunch, including what Henry had said. Leonard was stunned but managed to keep himself calm. He knew Penny needed him to be there for her.

When she finished, he asked her, "All you sure you're all right? Can I get you anything?"

Penny, more under control, said, "Do you have any wine?"

"Yeah, let me get a glass."

"I'm going to straighten up a little."

"All right."

After Penny returned and took a sip of her wine, Leonard spoke up, "I don't think you should be beating up on yourself. I agreed with your decision to meet with her and as Henry said, you were just trying to help and It would have happened whether you were there or not."

He took her hand in his, "Penny, it's completely natural you are feeling worried and depressed. You saw someone get killed for God's sake. Why don't you just try to forget it for a while. We can discuss it tomorrow. I just realized, you haven't had anything to eat. Can I order you something?"

Penny realized what he said was true and she was hungry. "Maybe just a salad."

As Leonard got up to call Room Service, Penny grabbed his hand and pulled him back down. "Leonard, can I stay here tonight? I don't feel up to driving home." After a hesitation, "I really want to be with you."

"Of course, Penny, I can sleep on the couch." He got up and ordered the food. When he returned to the couch, Penny asked, "Can I change into one of your t-shirts and maybe some boxer's? I really would like to get out of these clothes."

"Sure, I think I have a shirt you used to…" He stopped and she saw him blush a little, then he went on, "I'll get it and some shorts for you."

After Penny changed and the food arrived, Leonard watched as Penny dug into her salad. He knew he had to be careful. Penny was vulnerable and the last thing they needed was to have sex now. But he had to admit, she looked adorable.

After she finished her salad, Penny stated that it was silly to not discuss what had happened. So, they spent the time thinking of questions they should ask Henry and being honest about the possible affects it could have on the trial. They also spent time discussing how they should break the news to her family. They also wondered if they should call the gang, but decided they would wait until they had talked to Henry.

Then, suddenly, it had gotten late, and Leonard said they should probably get some sleep. Penny realized she wasn't ready to be away from Leonard. She asked, "Could you just hold me for a while?"

Leonard wasn't about to refuse, and they sat side by side on the couch, their hands intertwined and Penny laid her body against his. Afterwards, neither of them could say when it changed, when the consoling and touching became something more. Perhaps, they changed position to get comfortable and certain parts of the body came in contact, maybe it was just what they both wanted, or maybe having confronted death, Penny sought an affirmation of life. In any case, suddenly, they were locked in a passionate embrace and kiss, their hands roaming each other's bodies. Then, their clothes were gone and they were in bed. Then, it changed again. Leonard still managed to realize she was vulnerable and wanted her to know she was loved. That it was more than sex. He licked and touched her in all the places he knew so well, while Penny met him touch for touch and kiss for kiss. Together their passion grew until they both fell into bliss.

When they finally broke apart, Penny fell onto her back, struggling to get her breath. Concerned for Leonard, she looked to see if he needed his inhaler. Although he was breathing hard as well, he seemed okay. She laid back down to try to come to grips with what had just happened.

Then, it all came clear to her. Suddenly the fears she had felt, the excuses she had made, all seemed meaningless. She now saw what had evaded her before, what had been right in front of her face. The underlying reason she had been afraid to commit. She was afraid she would lose part of herself. That she would no longer be the same Penny. In fact, she realized, that was what she thought she had to do, to give up part of herself in order to commit herself to Leonard. Now she realized, she had it all backwards. She wouldn't lose anything, she would gain everything. Together in love, they were more than each of them apart.

Suddenly, she felt her heart beating so hard, she was afraid it would burst out of her chest. She looked at Leonard and felt such a feeling of peace and joy that she could finally give him what he deserved.

She got up on one elbow and looked down at him, and feeling a sense of euphoria, said, "Leonard."

He turned and looked at her, a slight quizzical look on his face, "What?"

"I love you."

She saw his eyes widen and, as her heart beat even faster, saw the utter joy on his face.

She hurried on, reaching out to caress his face, "I love your smile, your nerdy glasses. I love your cute tushie and how smart you are. I love how you treat your friends and how you befriended Sheldon. I love how you and Sara are. I have had sex with a lot of men, but I have only made love with you. I can't imagine or want a life without us... together."

Leonard looked up at her, he had never been so happy. He reached up and put his hand on hers, "I love you, too, Penny. I never stopped loving you. I have loved you in some way from the moment I saw you."

Penny felt a rush of joy and happiness. She leaned down and kissed him on the lips. It was a tender kiss, an expression of what they were each feeling.

Then, they laid back and Penny put her head on his chest and snuggled up to him, as Leonard spooned his arm around her. They both knew they were where they wanted to be, where they needed to be, where they belonged.

The next morning, Penny awakened first. She looked over at Leonard and found herself smiling happily. Then the events of the previous day rushed into her mind. But somehow, they were not as strong as they had been. She realized it was because she now knew that whatever happened, she and Leonard would face them together. That he would be at her side.

She then realized there was a lot to be done. First, she had to tell her family. She wondered if they should tell them they were intimate. She smiled, realizing they would probably know. Then they needed to get with Henry to see when he wanted to meet and discuss what happened. They probably would need to tell him about her and Leonard. If he had been right about the detectives, they might have been followed. Then, she had another moment of worry. Would this hurt the case? She put that quickly behind her. She was never going to apologize for what had happened or feel guilty about it.

She should also call Cherie and Doug and find out how Doreen was.

Then, another thought hit her. Was what happened in the news? What was being said about it?

Just then Leonard awoke. He was disoriented for a moment, then looked over at her. His face broke out into a beautiful smile that made her heart melt. He said, "Good morning."

She smiled back and said, "Good Morning." Then moved over and covered him and gave him a passionate kiss. But then, the mood was broken when nature called. She very unromantically said, "I have to pee."

She then got up and went to the bathroom.

When she came out, she was disappointed to see that Leonard was up and had his shorts back on. He moved past her and went into the bathroom.

She noticed it was already nine o'clock and reluctantly decided they probably should get going. Her parents were probably wondering when they were coming. Just then Leonard came back out and saw her standing there naked. She quickly said, "I am going to take a shower. We should probably get out to the farm."

Leonard nodded, but then perked up. "It would be faster if we showered together."

Penny wasn't sure about the time, but wasn't about to refuse the offer.

While they didn't have sex in the shower, they made sure every part of their partner's body was nice and clean.

She then used a new toothbrush that Leonard had and got ready to leave. But then Penny remembered her thought about the news. "Leonard, we should check to see if anything is in the local news. We can check the Omaha World Herald website."

Leonard started up his laptop and located the site. There was indeed a story. Thankfully, it was not on the equivalent of the first page, having apparently being superseded by National and State news, but was prominent on the local news page. Penny looked over his shoulder and read it as he did also.

 _Police, responding to a 911 call from a house on 42_ _nd_ _street in Omaha, were confronted with a badly beaten young woman, later identified as Doreen Mason, who lives at that address. The apparent assailant, Jack Graham, also of Omaha, who had reportedly been formerly romantically involved with the victim, was found dead at the scene. A young woman, who gave her name as Juanita Juarez, was taken into custody and is currently been held, pending determination of charges. It has been discovered that her real name is Maria Gonzales, formally of New York, where she spent time in prison for a similar crime._

 _A fourth individual found at the scene, Penelope Prentis of rural Omaha, was questioned and released._

 _All three of the women are employees of The Gentlemen's Club. Jack Graham was currently unemployed._

 _The latest news on the condition of the victim is that there is a good chance she will survive but is still in intensive care._

When they finished, Leonard smiled ruefully and said, "It could have been worse."

"Yeah, I guess. I bet Doug's not very happy that they decided to mention where we all worked."

"Probably not," but then he smirked, "Who knows, maybe it will be good for business."

"If it is, that will just strengthen the idea that it is a place where dangerous people work."

"Well, at least it made it clear that the police didn't think you were involved. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I suppose we better take both vehicles?"

"I'll follow you."

When they arrived at the farm, Susan and Wyatt came out to meet them, Susan giving Penny a hug. "Welcome home. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

Wyatt meanwhile had greeted Leonard and Susan turned to Leonard, "Hi, Leonard. Thanks for taking care of her."

Leonard smiled and said, Good Morning, Susan, your welcome, but I'm sorry you had to wait."

Susan answered, "It was tough, but we knew she was okay with you."

Then Wyatt spoke up, "It's kind of chilly out here, maybe we should go in the house."

Bridget was waiting for them in the kitchen. She also gave Penny a hug.

They sat down at the table and Susan asked, "Can I get anyone anything?"

Leonard and Penny asked if she had coffee ready and she gave them each a cup. After they took a sip, Susan could wait no longer. "Okay, now spill it all, don't leave out anything."

Penny again told her story. She did cut back a little on how Doreen looked and didn't spend much time on the actual killing. She also decided it wasn't important they knew she threw up.

Everyone was stunned. Finally, Bridget got out, "Oh my God, Penny, how awful. I don't know how you are doing so well, I would be a wreck."

Penny smiled ruefully, "It's amazing what you can get through if you have to. But I am not all that calm."

Susan spoke up, "That poor girl, is she going to be all right?"

"The newspaper said it looked like she would live, but is in intensive care."

Then Penny covered her mouth, "I just realized something, if it is in the paper, it is probably on TV too. Sara…"

Susan reassured her, "Sara has been playing in her room all morning on the computer. I doubt if she checks the news. I'll tell you what. Why don't you guys take her out to the horses about one and we'll check out the news broadcast."

Penny continued, "That sounds good. I suppose we are going to have to tell her something though."

Susan answered, "All she knows now is that you were with Leonard last night."

When Penny looked quizzically at her, she continued, "She asked me where you were and before I thought, I told her."

Penny shrugged, "Well, Leonard has stayed here so I doubt she would think anything about it."

Wyatt asked, "How about the police, are you sure you are in the clear?"

Penny answered, "Henry seems to think so. Not sure if they are going to charge Juanita though."

Wyatt then continued, "I suppose we should let Sara know you are home. She has really missed you both."

Wyatt went over by the stairs and called up, "Sara, Leonard and Mommy are home."

Immediately they heard footsteps on the stairs and Sara burst into the room and ran over and had her Mother pick her up for a hug. "Hi, Mommy, Hi Leonard. I missed you. Are you going to be here so we can go out to the horses?"

Penny answered, "Yes, Honey, we'll go out in just a few minutes," as she put Sara back on the floor.

Sara asked, "Did you and Leonard have fun on your sleep over?"

When the other three adults saw the blushes on Leonard's and Penny's faces, they caught each other's eyes and shared the same thought, 'Well, that answers that question."

Penny managed to say, "Yes, we had a good time."

After they spent their time with the horses, they returned to the farm and found that there had been something on the news. They had shown older pictures of Doreen, Jack, and Juanita. Doreen was still in intensive care and no charges had been pressed against Juanita yet. There had been no mention of Penny.

Leaving Sara with Leonard, Penny went up to her room to make her calls. She called Cherie first.

Cherie answered and then attacked, "What the hell is going on? Doug said the Club would not be open last night and that you and Juanita were involved with the Police? I tried to reach you, but your phone has been off. I called your folks and they didn't know where you were either."

Penny told her story, apologizing for not getting to her sooner. She also decided to omit that she had spent the night with Leonard until they talked to Henry.

Like everyone, Cherie was stunned. She asked if there was anything she could do and if Penny had told Leonard yet. Penny said thanks for the offer, but she was okay for now. She told Cherie she had talked to Leonard and he was with her at the farm.

Cherie continued, "Is this going to hurt the custody case? It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong."

"I don't know. I'm sure it won't help. I'll be talking to Henry in the next couple days; I'll let you know what he says."

"Okay, I'll let you go. But if you need anything, be sure and call me."

"I will, Cherie. Talk to you later."

She then called Doug. He answered and said, "How are you doing today, Penny?"

"I'm doing okay, Doug. The last I have heard, Doreen was still in intensive care, but was expected to live. Have you heard anything more?"

"I have had someone checking periodically. She is out of intensive care, but probably faces more surgery. The good news is the damage to her face wasn't as bad as it looked. It was mostly bruising and swelling. Her nose is broken, but there was no permanent damage to the other bones of her face. She seems to be out of any danger of dying."

"Oh, I am so glad. Have you heard more about Juan…Maria?"

"No, I just talked to my lawyer, but he has not heard anything."

"How about work? Have you decided what you are going to do?"

We will still be closed tonight. I have managed to get some temporary replacements until I have time to replace everyone. Will you be able to work tomorrow? Oh, and don't worry, I am planning to pay you for the two nights we are closed."

"I really appreciate that Doug. I just want to say how great you have been about all this. Keeping track of Doreen and helping Maria. As to work, I'll be ready."

"Thanks for the kind words, Penny, but you know how I feel about all of you. I talked to Doreen's parents, they are on their way from Ohio to visit her. Evidently she has been estranged from them for some time."

"Maybe something good will come out of this and will help get them back together. Thanks again, Doug, and I will see you tomorrow night."

"Goodbye, Penny. Hang in there."

Her last call was to Henry. After he also checked on how she was and she told him what she knew about Doreen and Maria, and what was in the news, all of which he had already known, he told her he would meet with her and Leonard the next day. Sally would call them with a time. Once more giving her a small pep talk, he said goodbye and hung up.

The rest of day was gratefully normal. After putting Sara to bed, Penny and Leonard spent some time making out in the living room, before he reluctantly said good night and headed back to the hotel. Penny's bed suddenly felt lonely again.

Marilyn Forest was not happy. She disliked getting chewed out by a client, especially when she didn't feel her operative did anything wrong. She was doing exactly what she needed to do and was just unlucky when it backfired on her. Tiffany had followed Prentis to the diner. She then made the correct decision to go inside and see who she was meeting with. She had waited a few minutes so as not to be seen following her, and then headed inside, planning to have a coffee and see if she recognized the person Prentis was meeting. If not, see if she could get a photo. But, just as she opened the door, Prentis and another woman had rushed out, practically knocking her down. They quickly got into a car that had been parked near the door and sped off, with no chance of her getting to her car.

She had then called in and had been instructed to wait there for Prentis to return for her truck. Marilyn then called her other operative at the hotel, but was told Leonard had not been seen.

At least waiting at the truck had paid off, when Tiffany followed Prentis to Leonard's hotel and their replacement operatives confirmed they spent the night.

Although she agreed with the client that it would have been of value to have been at the crime scene, they did now know what happened during the time she was out of their sight. She had sent the news information and what other small additional information they had gathered at the police station to that pompous lawyer Hampton. At least he had left them on the case.

Steven Hankin sat at his desk, ready for another night's work at the NY Police Department. He usually spent his time answering routine calls, sorting and filing reports. As usual though, the first thing he did was get on the department computer and see if there had been any activity on the files of one Maria Gonzales, social security number ending in 1546. He had done that every night since Daniels had got him the job two years before. Expecting the usual no activity, he was stunned to see that a request for her fingerprints had come from the police department of Omaha, Nebraska. Now, alert and excited, he called up the request. It appeared Maria, under the name Juanita Juarez, was being held pending charges.

He printed a copy and sat back thinking, 'This should be a big feather in my cap and get me in good with Daniels'. He wasn't exactly sure why Daniels was so interested in this Maria's whereabouts, but knew it was not out of any concern for her.

 **A/N Thanks as usual for all your reviews. You guys really give me a lot to think about. And thanks to all my readers for staying with me.**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N Still don't own anything of the show.**

 **I apologize for the long delay. I just changed jobs and have spent time training and traveling. Things have settled down a little and I hope to get back to a better schedule.**

 **Just a warning, there is more violence in this chapter.**

Penny awoke early and spent time thinking of all that had transpired in the previous two days. She also realized it was now one week before the trial. Deciding she was not going to get back to sleep, she got up and made a pot of coffee. Feeling a little guilty about doing it, she called and woke up Leonard, asking him if he could come out early. Leonard arrived about 8:00 and she greeted him with a hug and a kiss.

After Jeremy left for school, Bridget took Sara to the horses and Penny, Leonard, and her parents sat talking at the kitchen table.

Penny started, "I am a little concerned about work tonight. I really don't know what to expect."

Leonard answered, "I am sure there will be a lot of curious people there, just wanting to see a person who has been involved in a murder scene. But I really don't believe they will be hostile. I doubt if many will have sympathy for Jack."

Wyatt interjected, "I hope you're right, Leonard, but I am afraid they may be more unruly than usual, at least some heckling and snide remarks. Also, they may be more aggressive."

Penny sighed, "I can handle the heckling, I just hope Doug is planning on extra security. I have a feeling there may be a large crowd."

Susan spoke up, "Maybe you should wait before going back. It could settle down."

Penny answered, "No, I want to get it over with. Besides, I told Doug I would be there. He has been so good through all this, I can't expect him to keep paying me while I stay away. I'm sure he has taken precautions."

In an effort to change the subject, Wyatt asked, "Has Henry said how he thinks all this will affect the trial?"

Penny continued, "He just has given me pep talks, telling me he still thinks we will win. He said he would talk to Leonard and I this week." Just then her phone rang, looking to see who was calling, she said, "Speak of the Devil."

She answered and said, "Hello, Sally." She then said, "Okay, we will be there." After listening some more, she said, "I am sure that will work. They are right here, let me ask them." She turned to her parents. "Sally wants to come out and talk to you two and Bridgett about your testimony while Leonard and I are with Henry. Will twelve thirty work out?"

Susan looked at Wyatt, who nodded. She said to Penny, that should be okay."

Penny spoke into the phone, "That will work out."

After another moment, "Okay, thanks, see you later."

She hung up and turned to the others, "As you probably surmised, Henry will meet us at twelve thirty also."

Penny and Leonard were ushered into Henry's office right on time. After exchanging pleasantries, and Penny again assuring Henry she was hanging in there, he began.

"First of all, I have two pieces of good news. Doug Cummings called me just before you arrived and told me that Miss Mason is continuing to improve. Apparently, her parents have arrived and are with her."

Penny smiled and said, "That's great, I hope that means they can put whatever problems they had behind them."

Henry went on, "Doug also heard from his lawyer, they have decided not to prefer charges against Miss Gonzalez. They have already released her and have ruled it was justifiable homicide. That is not only good news for her, but I think will be good for us."

Penny continued to smile, "Oh, I am so glad to hear that. I was so afraid they would charge her, although I thought she did the right thing."

Leonard broke in, "You think this will help our case?"

Henry answered, "More helping to lessen any damage. Although I don't think it is anywhere near a death blow, the whole thing does support their point about the dangerous people involved. But, I will cover that soon when I discuss the status of the case."

He then went on, "Oh, by the way, Doug also said that Gonzalez plans to appear at the club tonight."

Penny showed her surprise, "That is a shock, I would think she would want to avoid being in public so soon."

"I guess she wants to show she has nothing to hide and is not ashamed of what she has done." Henry went on, "After all, you are working tonight aren't you?"

Penny admitted, "You're right. Well, it makes tonight even more interesting. Her being there may take some of the heat off of me."

"Doug did tell me he is putting on extra security and plans to enforce his normal rules."

Leonard spoke up, "Penny, I have been thinking, would you like me to be there, to offer support?"

Penny touched his shoulder, "I would, but I don't think you should. If they do heckle me, it would just upset you and there would be nothing you could really do about it."

Leonard looked down, "I guess you're right, but I really wish there was something I could do."

Penny smiled at him. "Just knowing you will always be there for me is enough."

Henry said, "Well, we'd better get going on why I had you come today. As I am sure you are more than aware, the trial is a week away. Both I and the opposition had to turn in our briefs today. Before we go into where I think we stand, I would like to explain a little on the workings of the trial and how I expect it to proceed."

"In most ways, it will be the same as the trials you are used to seeing. It will be set up the same with each of the sides at their tables and the judge on the bench. The plaintiffs will present their case first. Then we will present ours. The lawyers will be able to cross-examine the other's witnesses. The last step will be Sara taking the stand to be questioned by the judge."

"The major difference of course, is that there will not be a jury. This means that it will be a little more informal. For example, the judge will be much more lenient on allowing testimony. Heresy evidence will be allowed and witnesses will be able to expound on their answers and even offer opinions. Also, the judge will be more active and often question the witnesses himself."

"There will also be little use of objections because the judge is expected to know what he is accepting and there is no jury to taint."

"I would think that the trial will proceed something like this. I think they will immediately stipulate to the facts about the contract, the suggestion of an abortion, and that Brandon ignored Sara for five years. They really can't fight those and will want to get them behind them as soon as they can."

"The first witness will surely be Brandon. This will be the crucial testimony for them. He needs to convince the judge that he has changed, that he now wants Sara. He will also talk about everything they can do for her that you cannot, and that he truly believes he is the best option for her. I will ask him that if he feels that way, couldn't he just agree to pay child support and thus enable you to stop stripping and provide for Sara's future. Whether that will blunt his testimony is moot. I think he will be able to at least convince the judge of his sincerity. That of course will not mean that Sara is better off with them."

"Then I think they will call his wife. She will probably explain how she investigated and raised Brandon's concerns about Sara. There is really little I can attack her on. Might ask her if it is better for a daughter to be with her real mother."

"Then it will probably get dirty. They will present evidence of what happened with Gonzalez. I think they will hesitate to condemn you, but just point out how you could be in danger. If they have anything on you and Leonard, they will probably present it as well. This will probably be testimony from anyone they have had watching you."

Penny looked at Leonard and then interrupted. "You should know, I spent the night at Leonard's apartment and we were intimate."

Henry looked at them, "I see, well, we have to assume they know. Based on your past relationship, I don't think it will be too bad. After all, no one really expects you to be celibate and it hardly shows promiscuity."

Then he went on, "But, all of this does tend to support some of their points. And as I have always stated, it is hard to see what importance a judge will put on anything."

"Anyway, unless they have found something we don't know about or something I have missed, I think that will end their case."

"We will probably lead with you, Penny. We will first try to get something more of what Brandon did five years ago, to put a more human face on it. How it made you feel. We will then let you talk about your love for Sara and how you believe you have made her happy. Then we will be honest about your current situation and what happened with Gonzalez, how you were intent on doing the right thing. We will then emphasize the good reputation the Club has. We will call Doug later to back you up on that."

"I think in their cross examination they will try to make you admit that there is a certain element of danger in what you do. I would not allow them to shake you on your stand that it is a safe place to work. He may also bring up Leonard, asking if you intend to take Sara off the farm and follow him back to California, thus doing what you are accusing Brandon of doing. I would just be honest about what your plans are, but hope you can say you plan to maintain the status quo in regards to where Sara will be for the foreseeable future."

"Then we will call your parents and Bridget to show your support system. Wyatt will probably be asked about how he lost his land, and Bridget may be asked about her having a child out of wedlock too. But I don't think that will have much effect."

"I will see how their presentation goes before I decide whether to put Leonard on the stand. For now, I would say I won't."

"Then, we will rest our case, and Sara will take the stand. As I have said, she will be only questioned by the judge and there will be no cross examination."

"Do either of you have any questions?"

Leonard spoke up, "Will the judge decide immediately?"

"From what I understand from talking to lawyers that usually handle these cases, you usually get a decision within twenty-four hours. Occasionally the judge will decide on the spot, but I don't think that will be the case here. Any more questions?"

Penny spoke up, "I don't know if they will, but it is possible that some of our friends will want to attend. Is it open to the public?"

"Not to the general public, but you can have friends or relatives, I will need a list at least two days before the trial of who is planning to come."

"All right, if there are no more questions right now, I will give you probably my last assessment of where we are at and how I think we stand."

"There is no doubt that I would have preferred that certain events would not have occurred. But strangely, there also are some plus sides to what has happened. The fact that you saved Miss Mason's life is of importance. It also helps that they have decided not to press charges. As I said, we will show how you became involved because of trying to do the right thing. I still think that if they do bring up Leonard, it is a two-edged sword. Although it may look like you jumped into a relationship, after all, Leonard has only been around a month, I think it would also leave open the possibility of a different future for you."

"I believe that what has really changed is that I think Brandon can convince the judge he has changed toward Sara. Although I wish it weren't so, I think Sara's testimony will be a major factor. It isn't often the child's opinion weighs for that much, but I think the judge will realize how we all have, that Sara is advanced for her age, and what she feels is important."

"To be honest, there are so many ways that how what has happened can be perceived. It may be the judge will place much greater importance on some items than I have, but I still think that the final point is that there will not be enough preponderance of evidence to convince the judge to take Sara out of a loving situation and away from her natural mother."

Penny and Leonard looked at each other and Penny spoke, "Well, that's better news than I expected. In any case, it will soon be over. We would just like to say once more how much we appreciate how much you and your firm has done for us. Win or lose, we know you have done all you can."

Henry smiled, "It has been our pleasure. I know we only took this case because of wanting to get back at Hampton, but we have come to want to win it for you and Sara. We really believe you should be together."

Penny teared up a little and gave Henry a hug. Then they awkwardly said their goodbyes.

When they got outside, Penny looked at her watch and saw the time. "It's two o'clock, I don't think there is any reason for me to try to get back to the farm. We should have brought both vehicles."

Leonard thought for a moment, "How about this? You and I can get some lunch and spend the afternoon together. Then, I will take you to work and call Wyatt to bring the truck. We will leave it in the parking lot and I will take Wyatt back to the farm."

"That should work. Sounds like a deal."

In Los Angeles, it turned out that the opposition was having a meeting also. Hampton was quite exuberant over recent events. He was confident it would do wonders for their case. Brandon and Eileen were more reticent. They were glad that it seemed to make Hampton more optimistic, but they were shocked about what had happened. They had never wanted Penny to be hurt or be in any danger. It did however, strengthen their feeling that they were doing the right thing for Sara to get her out of her situation.

At the same time, Matt Daniels and his right-hand man Victor Matteson, were waiting at a New York airport to board a plane. Their checked luggage contained two legally licensed semi-automatic handguns. Daniels felt a little trepidation leaving his home turf, but he needed to take care of this personally.

Leonard dropped Penny off at the club, still wondering if he should stay. But he finally decided she was right, he would just get upset and there was nothing he could really do. In fact, he would probably end up being something else for her to worry about. Penny kissed him goodbye and wondered if she should ask him to stay, but didn't want to expose him to what might happen.

However Penny had envisioned that the evening would go, she never imagined what did happen. It turned out to be vital that Doug had beefed up security more than even for New Year's. Not to protect the girls, but because of the size of the crowd. There was also a far larger percentage of women than usual. For the first time, they could not fit everyone into the main room. Because of fire rules, they had to keep a large number of people in the lobby, planning to let them in when someone left, but no one was leaving.

Then there was the mood of the crowd. Some were obviously there because of morbid interest, but the overwhelming majority were supportive. If any friends of Jack had planned anything, they would have quickly abandoned their plans. Evidently, everyone wanted to show how they appreciated what Juanita had done. Also, Penny came to realize how much Doreen had been liked. Her youth, good looks and dumb blond persona had evidently made her very popular. Doug had cursed himself for not thinking and quickly set up a large garbage can to collect donations for Doreen. They filled it up twice. Although the big attractions were Penny and Juanita, everyone cashed in on the good feelings. The tips were huge. Doug moved Penny and Juanita so they were the last acts.

A problem arose though when everyone wanted to be at a table with Juanita. Finally, they put all the tables together in a circle so everyone could sit with her. Doug even ignored the fire rules and allowed everyone to come in and stand against the walls. The cheering for Penny and Juanita's acts were probably heard for blocks. They even set up a special lap dance where forty lucky individuals watched both Penny and Juanita dance. The amount of tips they received were astronomical.

The only possible bad moment came when someone mentioned at the tables that Penny was involved in a custody case. But she was warmed by the support she got. If Henry wanted a hundred character witnesses that attended the club, they were there for the asking.

Finally, the incredible night ended and Penny sank exhausted in front of her mirror. Knowing they would be worried, she called home and let them know how it had been. They were as astounded as she was.

Then Juanita came up to her. "Penny, I hope I didn't mess up your chances with Sara. I would never forgive myself."

Penny assured her that her lawyer felt they would be all right. Then she looked around, "Do you think it will be like this all the time now?"

'No, I think people got it out of their system. Besides, I doubt if they could afford to do this very often. I made as much money tonight as I usually do in a month."

"I know, it was insane."

"Well, goodnight, Penny."

"Goodnight, Juanita, see you tomorrow."

Juanita didn't say anything but had a strange expression on her face.

Before Penny could think anything about it, Cheri came up to her. "Wow, that was something else. I haven't talked to you, how are you doing? Did your lawyer say how what happened will affect the trial?

"He still seems optimistic so I am going to go with that."

"At least it is almost over."

"I know."

"How about you and Leonard? Anything I should know about?"

In spite of herself, Penny felt herself blush. Cheri immediately pounced. "My God, you did it." Smirking, "How was it? Did you remember what to do?"

"It was great and that is all you are going to get." Then she smiled, "I told him I loved him."

Cheri looked shocked and then hugged her. "I am so glad. I am so happy for you."

"Thank you, Cherie."

"So, what now, are you getting married?"

"Easy girl, let's wait and see what happens."

"Okay for now, but I am not going to let it go."

The next day, Leonard and Penny decided they needed to get away from everything. They took Sara and spent the whole day with just the three of them. They ate at McDonalds. They visited museums and went to a matinee. They went to the mall and played arcade games. Sara and Penny dragged him to stores as they shopped for clothes. Apparently, Sara was starting to inherit her mother's love for shopping. Sara got another new dress. They finally returned home and spent some time with the horses before Penny had to leave for work. Leonard decided to stay for supper, planning to spend more time with Sara.

Doug Cummings had come back to the club about four o'clock and was surprised to see Juanita taking things from her closet and putting them in a bag.

"Juanita, what's going on?"

Juanita looked up sadly, "I'm leaving."

Doug was stunned, "Just like that. Were you going to tell me?"

"Yes. I'm sorry Doug, but this is something I have to do."

Doug was getting a little angry, "Is this how you repay me for helping you?"

To his surprise, Juanita snapped back, "I appreciate what you did, but this has nothing to do with you. I just need to get away."

"Are you in trouble? Did something else happen?"

"No." Now she looked pleadingly at him, "I'm sorry Doug, but I can't say anymore, Please, just let me go."

"All right, but how about your check? Is there someplace I can send it? Can you pick it up?"

"I'll let you know."

Somehow, Doug knew he would never hear from her.

"Are you sure there is nothing I can do? I don't like you leaving like this."

"I don't want to leave, but I have to."

Then she turned and left. As she went out the door, she didn't even notice that Mike was automatically accompanying her. When they had gotten out into the parking lot, two men moved out of the shadows and stood some twenty feet apart each holding a gun. Juanita saw them and gasped, "Daniels!"

Daniels smirked, "You remember me, Maria. I'm touched. Of course, I remember you. It took a long time, but I promised I would even the score. You killed my brother and now you are going to pay for it."

Even in her shock, Juanita remembered Mike next to her. She turned to him, "Mike, get out of here, go back. This has nothing to do with you."

Daniels sneered, "Sorry, Mike, but I am afraid you are involved, I don't plan on leaving a witness."

It never occurred to Mike to leave. His job was to protect the girls and he was going to do it. He knew their chances were very slim, but he had faced death before. As a hardened Marine, he felt himself slide into a strange calm, not letting panic stop him from assessing their best hope. He knew his single shot hand gun did not give them much of a chance, but if he could catch them off guard by acting first, maybe they could just get lucky. First, he needed to let them think he was afraid. He stepped back, as if he was planning to leave. He spoke up, "Hey, I won't say anything, I have a wife and two kids. Your fight is with this whore, not with me."

He saw them sneer and they seemed to relax just a second. He decided it was now or never. He quickly drew and with one shot took out the closest one to him. Victor went down with a hole in his chest. But then his luck ran out. Daniels cursed and opened fire. At the last moment, Juanita jumped in front of Mike, but the fusillade of bullets sent them both to the ground, Mike's gun clattering from his hand.

Daniels swore to himself, 'what the hell had happened?' Everything was messed up. Victor was down, probably dead. How was he going to get out of this now? Just then he heard a moan and saw the security cop move. He was still alive. He walked up to where Mike and Juanita lay. He saw that Juanita was dead, but the cop was breathing. Well, he wouldn't be for long. He stood over him and aimed down at him, saying, "This is for Victor."

His brain registered more surprise than pain when the shells hit him in the chest, knocking him backwards. Somehow, he stayed on his feet and instinctively raised his gun to shoot. The second blast drove him back, almost cutting him in half.

Doug pushed past Howard, who was lowering the shotgun he had just fired. Doug rushed to where Mike and Juanita were. Without even a glance at Daniels' body, he knelt down by Mike. He saw that Juanita was dead and tenderly touched her cheek. Then he saw Mike was still breathing. He shouted back. "Mike's alive, get an ambulance." Then seeing the bloody wounds on his chest, took off his coat and covered them as best he could. Then he took Mike's hand. "Come on Mike, stay with me. Help's on the way." With tears pouring down his face, he continued to hold Mike's hand, exhorting him to hang on.

That night _The Gentlemen's Club_ closed and never reopened.

 **A/N A belated thanks for all your reviews. You all are the best. Thanks for your patience.**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N I still just write for fun. At least this comes a little faster. Thanks for all your patience and support.**

Penny was on her way to work when her phone rang. Checking it, she found she had a call from Mama.

"Hey, Mama, what's up"

Sounding serious, Mama said, "Where are you, Penny?"

"I'm on County Road 12 about twenty minutes from work."

"Perhaps you should pull over, I need to tell you something."

Penny got scared, "What's going on?"

"Please, Penny, find a place to stop, trust me on this."

"All right, there is a small shopping mall ahead, just hang on."

Penny turned off into the parking lot and came to a stop. "Okay, I'm off the road, what's going on?"

"There were shootings at the Club parking lot this afternoon."

"Oh, my God, was someone hurt, was it a terrorist?"

"I don't know much of the details, Mr. Cummings called me and told me to let you and the other girls know and that the Club will be closed tonight. There were evidently two shooters but both are dead." She hesitated, "Penny, Juanita was killed and Mike was wounded."

Penny couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Oh God, no. Is Mike badly hurt, is he going to make it?"

"I don't know, Penny, Mr. Cummings went with him to the hospital. He said he would call as soon as he knew something, will probably be tomorrow. I'm sorry, I don't know any more."

"That's all right, Mama, I understand. How are you holding up?"

"I really don't know. I think I am still in shock."

"I know what you mean. We just have to believe that Mike will be all right."

"I'll be praying for him. Well, you are the first one I called, I better let the others know."

"Okay, Mama, if you need to talk to someone, don't hesitate to call."

"I won't Penny, and the same goes for you."

Penny hung up and suddenly she just began to cry. After sometime she got herself together and tried to decide what she should do.

She wanted to be with Leonard, but he was still at the farm. Deciding her parents should be in on it from the beginning this time, she called home to tell her Mother she didn't have to work and she would explain when she got home. She also told her to keep Leonard there.

Still shaking, she pulled out of the parking lot and headed back toward home.

Bruce had been the investigator following Penny. She caught him off guard when she abruptly pulled off the road. To avoid looking suspicious by pulling off after her, he continued down the road until he could pull off and turn around. He then parked some distance from her and watched. After a time, she headed out, back toward the farm. He followed her, but decided he should call in what happened.

After talking to Bruce, Marilyn Forest decided two scenarios were most likely. Either something had happened at the farm, or at the Club. She called her agent watching the farm but she hadn't seen anything unusual. She told her to call her back if anything changed. Then she called Ted into her office and sent him to check out the Club. She soon heard back from him that there had been a shooting at the club and police were all over the place. From what he could gather, one of the strippers was dead and the security guard had been shot. Marilyn told him to see if he could find out anything else. She then called one of her contacts at the police station to see what he had heard. She decided she would put off calling Hampton until she knew more.

When Penny arrived back at the farm, she found of course that everyone was worried and wanted to know what happened. Before she answered she rushed to Leonard and put her arms around him and let him hold her. She than told Jeremy and Sara to go to their room. They weren't too happy about it, but did as she said.

The rest of them than sat around the kitchen table and she told them what Mama had told her. Of course, everyone was stunned, shocked, and saddened.

Susan spoke first, "That poor girl. She had been through so much. And Mike, doesn't he have a family?"

Penny answered, "Yes, a wife and two little girls."

After everyone sat quietly for a few moments, trying to absorb what they had heard, Wyatt asked, "Do we know why someone wanted to kill her? Or was she just the one in the wrong place."

"I don't know, but it does sound like they attacked when Mike was escorting her to her car. So, I think she was the target."

"Well, in any case, this can't be good for the trial."

Everyone was caught off guard by Penny's reaction. "God Damnit Dad, the trial? Juanita is dead! Mike could be dying or dead by now. I don't want to hear anything about how it affects us." She then quieted down and said, "I'm sorry, Dad, I know we are all thinking about the trial, but it just feels so wrong to be thinking about our problems at a time like this."

Leonard spoke up, "You are right, Penny, it's just that we have talked so long about the trial and how something like this could happen it just seems right to think about that. But, I agree we should not talk about that now, or ever. Whatever effect it might have, we have no control over that. Our concern should be with Mike."

Wyatt continued, "You're both right and I won't bring it up again." Then something struck him. "It did happen though just a couple days after Juanita saved that girl's life. It seems to me that it is probably tied to that." Then he looked worried, "If that's true, it's possible you could be in danger too."

Penny said, "I admit it does seem like that would make sense, I suppose they could be friends or relatives of Jack." But then she shook her head. "Even If that is true, which I don't believe, why would they be after me, I didn't kill Jack."

Wyatt wasn't dissuaded, "You may be right but I'm not going to take any chances, I think I'll break out the artillery." Then, he got up and left the table.

Seeing Leonard looking inquisitively at her, Penny explained, "Dad used to do some hunting, we have a rifle and a shotgun in the house."

Wyatt returned soon with the aforementioned weapons and shells for both. He announced he would keep the rifle with him and put the shotgun on a shelf in the kitchen that the kids couldn't reach, in case someone would need it. The others weren't thrilled about what he was doing, but It was obvious he was not about to be talked out of it.

Penny started to rise and said, "Well, I need to do something to try to take my mind off all this. It's a full moon and the weather is pretty mild for January, I think I'll go for a moonlight ride." Seeing Wyatt about to say something, she continued, "I really don't think they will be sitting out there in the dark. Besides, Mama did say both shooters are dead. Maybe you guys should check out the latest news to see if there are new facts available."

Turning to Leonard, "Do you want to join me?" When she got a definite yes, she said, "I think we'll take Sara too."

With her Dad 'Covering' them from the porch, they headed out to the stables. It was a beautiful night with just enough snow on the ground to reflect the moonlight. As they walked, Sara asked, "Why does Grandpa have his gun? Is something wrong?"

Penny answered, "There was a little trouble at the Club and Grandpa is being careful, there is nothing to worry about; he will put it away soon."

Penny knew her answer was pretty lame and that Sara had more questions, but apparently, she kept them to herself.

Alter they saddled up, Penny had Leonard get in the saddle and she sat behind him with her arms around him. They then headed down the trail, Sara and Daisy riding beside them.

As they rode, they would have been surprised to learn they were all thinking approximately the same thing.

Penny thought how they were a family, how much she loved Leonard, how much she loved both of them. But then, as always, the trial broke into her thoughts, and she cursed Brandon for coming back into her life, that their chance to be a family could be in jeopardy. And although she yelled at her dad, she was well aware what happened at the Club was not going to be helpful. But then she decided she was only going to have good thoughts and squeezed Leonard as tight as she could.

Leonard had never been as happy in his life as he was since Penny had told him she loved him. That happiness was enhanced by his love for Sara. At times like this, he realized how much he wanted this, for them to be a family. He had thought of asking Penny to marry him, but knew that the trial still weighed on her mind. He was also concerned, of course; and although he had agreed with Penny about what happened at the Club, he knew it wasn't good for their chances. Suddenly, Penny squeezed him harder and he decided he would just enjoy being with them.

Sara smiled as she saw her Mommy hugging Leonard. Her Mommy was so happy when she was with Leonard. But then it was the same for her. She remembered what she had told Leonard and knew how much she did want it, that he and her Mommy would get married and Leonard would be her Daddy.

After they finished with the horses and returned to the house, the guns were conspicuously absent. Before they could ask, Susan said they could talk after the kids were in bed.

Leonard and Penny spent the time before bedtime playing children video games as a team against Jeremy and Sara. Sara and Jeremy high-fived as they won.

After the kids had gone to bed, Susan and Wyatt explained that there had been some breaking news. They said first that Mike was still in surgery. The report said that the two apparent shooters were from New York. What had prompted Wyatt to put away the guns was that the report stated the apparent motive was that the man Juanita had killed eight years before was the brother of one of the killers.

Although Penny wanted to be with Leonard, they decided it was too dangerous with Jeremy and Sara. So, they hugged and kissed and he said he would be back early in the morning.

Doug Cummings knelt beside Mike until the ambulance arrived, only stepping back when the paramedics took charge. The police arrived at about the same time, and Doug told them all he knew. He then said he was going to the hospital and they could talk to Howard more about what had happened. He also told them he would notify Mike's wife. One of the officers was reluctant to let him go, but the other was aware of who Doug was and assured his partner it would be okay. Doug told Howard to shut down the club and he would take care of seeing people were notified.

On his way to the hospital, Doug called Barbara and told her what happened. He told her to call everyone but the strippers and tell them the club would be closed. He then asked her to go down to the club to be sure everything was done there. He had suddenly realized the police might want to talk more with Howard.

He then called Mama, and told her to call and tell the girls.

After Mama had settled down and told Doug she would call them, he took a deep breath. This was one call he did not want to make, but he would rather have her hear it from him and not the police.

The phone rang a few times, and he found himself selfishly hoping she was not home and he could put it off by leaving a message to have her call him, when she answered.

"Marty, this is Doug Cummings."

Although he had called her on several occasions with more happy or mundane matters, he could sense her sudden nervousness, maybe something in his voice?

"Hey Doug, what's up?"

"Hear me out, Marty, there was a shooting at the club." He heard her gasp, and hurried on, "Mike was shot, but he is alive and has been taken to Omaha General. I am on my way there now."

He heard her struggling to control herself and then she got out, "How bad is it?"

"I don't know, Marty. We should know more when we are at the hospital."

Doug knew Marty had been through this before when Mike was shot when he was in Iraq. He could sense her drawing on the same strength.

"I'll call Mom and drop the kids off and will meet you at the hospital."

"All right, Marty."

When Doug arrived, he went into the emergency room, but was told Mike had been taken immediately to be prepared for surgery, and he would have to check at the front desk. Sometime later, after Doug had filled out insurance papers and other forms, he was still waiting for any information when he saw Marty come through the door. Marty was thin and would not be considered beautiful, but she was pretty, especially when she smiled. She saw Doug and hurried over to him. "Have you heard anything?"

"Not much, I have been busy filling out forms. They did say he is being prepared for surgery."

"Mom and the kids were wondering what was going on, but I just said Mike had been hurt but would be fine. I'm pretty sure Mom didn't believe me, but the kids seemed to take it okay."

She then took a deep breath and managed to get herself reasonably relaxed. "What the hell happened, Doug?"

Doug told her what he knew.

"That same girl that killed that guy a few days ago?"

"Yes. I'm sick about this Marty, I just feel it is my fault, I put him in this situation."

Marty suddenly got very serious, "Listen to me, Doug, you hired Mike to do a job. He knew what could happen. Believe me, if he has any reaction, it will be that he couldn't save her."

Just then a young man dressed in blue scrubs came out and asked, "Is there anyone here for Mr. Mike Hayward?"

They got up and approached him and Marty spoke, "I am his wife, Marty Hayward. How is he?"

"My name is Doctor Maxwell, I will be performing the surgery. I want you to understand that any information I give you comes from the pre-surgery examination. We won't really know the extent of the injuries until we perform the surgery, but for now, we do not believe the wounds are life threatening."

Marty sighed, "Thank God."

"Now, as I say, that may change."

"I understand, Doctor, and thank you for coming out to talk to us."

"Your welcome. Now the surgery will probably take a couple hours and he will be sedated for a time after that. It may be better for you to go home and get some rest. I can have the nurse on duty call you if anything changes."

"Thank you, doctor, I may take you up on that later, but would like to stay now, if I could."

"Of course, if you are still here after I finish, I will tell you what the situation is then."

The doctor then left and Marty turned to Doug. "Doug, there is no need for you to stay…"

"If it's okay with you, Marty, I'd like to stay around for a while."

"It's fine Doug, I really would rather not be alone." Then everything seemed to catch up with her and she hugged him. Then she stepped back and said, "Sorry, I just needed to be held."

Doug smiled, "Don't apologize, Marty, it was a help to me as well."

"I suppose I better call Mom and tell her what's going on."

She moved away and took out her phone. Doug realized he needed to call his wife as well.

The surgery took longer than the Doctor thought and it was almost ten o'clock when he came back to where they were. They both quickly rose and looked at him expectantly.

"The surgery took a little longer because there was quite a bit of internal bleeding we had not anticipated." Seeing the look of fear on Marty's face, he quickly added, "It wasn't anything we couldn't handle and otherwise our pre-surgery opinion was correct." He smiled at her, "There is no reason your husband should not make a full and healthy recovery."

Marty shrieked happily and hugged Doug, who happily returned it. "Thank you so much, Doctor, for everything."

The doctor smiled and said, "I am glad that everything worked out. Now, as I said, he is heavily sedated and will sleep through the night. I do suggest that you go home and you can talk to him in the morning. Leave your number at the nurse's station and she will call you if anything changes." He then hesitated and said, "I need to call the Police as well, they will want to talk to him as soon as he awakens."

He then turned and said, "Good night, I will be there to check on him in the morning."

After he left, Marty said, "I suppose I should go home and put the kids in their own beds. Will have to decide if I want to bring them in the morning. Maybe will wait until I see how he feels."

She looked up at Doug and said, "Thank you for everything, Doug, I know Mike will be grateful for what you have done and staying with me."

"Your welcome, Marty. I am just so glad about Mike." After a small hesitation, "Is it okay if I come by in the morning? I also thought I would bring my lawyer just to cover all bases."

"No, Doug, that sounds like a good idea. I will see you in the morning then."

When Doug got home, he was tearfully met by his wife. He held her until she recovered her composure and filled her in on everything that had happened. He then listened while she gave a small tirade on how she had always said him owning that club would bring them grief. Strangely, for the first time since she had started telling him the same thing, he wondered if she was right.

Running the club had always been enjoyable for him. He loved the people and felt he had provided an opportunity for them to make some good money. He had been proud of the show they put on, of the professionalism they showed. But now, the idea of going on seemed to be wrong. He felt it would never be the same again. He hated to take away the income he provided, but he had just lost any interest in proceeding. There would be just too many memories. Suddenly, he realized he had made a decision, he was going to close the Club. At first, he thought he should sleep on it, but then he knew it was right, that it needed to be done.

As promised, Leonard came out early to the farm. As soon as he arrived, the phone calls began. Sally called first, saying that they had seen the news and wondered if Penny knew anything more. Penny told her what Mary had said including that Doug would call her as soon as he knew something more. She told Sally she would call her after talking to Doug or have Doug call her himself.

It was only about fifteen minutes later that Doug called.

"Hi Penny, I imagine you have been waiting for my call. I actually could have called last night, but it was late and I knew I should have the whole story this morning."

"It's okay, Doug, Mama said not to expect a call until today."

"Let me say first, that Mike is going to be okay. In fact, he was awake and talking this morning."

Penny felt her eyes tearing up, she turned to the others, "Mike is going to be okay."

The others all smiled and Penny had to smile as her parents hugged while Bridget surprised Leonard by giving him a hug.

"That's wonderful, Doug."

"Yes, he talked to both the Police and his wife this morning. She is going to bring his kids by later. They say he should be able to go home in a couple days."

He went on, "The doctor said it was strange, all the wounds were to his arms and legs, nothing to his chest or stomach. Mike cleared that up, he said that Juanita jumped in front of him at the last moment. The doctor agreed that she most likely saved his life. Mike also said that one of the men said that Juanita had killed his brother."

Penny just marveled how someone who had suffered such a difficult life had ended up saving two lives.

Doug was continuing, "Penny, now I have some bad news. I have decided to close the club for good. I'm sorry to do this, especially before the trial, but I just don't have the heart to continue."

Penny was shocked but then realized what had been in the back of her mind since she heard about the shooting. "I understand, Doug, in fact I was wondering if I would be able to continue myself."

"I will of course pay for any vacation or sick days you have coming. I am also planning to pay two weeks of severance pay."

He hesitated and then went on, "As you know, Penny, I am involved in a few other enterprises, I'm sure I could find a job for you. It wouldn't pay as well, but is there if you want it."

"Thanks, Doug, I may take you up on that after everything settles down."

"Okay, well you are the last of girls I need to talk to, but I have a lot of other calls to make."

"All right, Doug. Oh, wait a minute, could you call Sally or Henry at the law firm. I said I would call or have you call them. If it's okay, I would rather they talked to you in case they had some questions."

"All right, Penny, I'll call them right after I finish up the other calls. Will that work?"

"That's fine, Doug." She then took a moment and said, "Doug, I just want you to know how much I appreciate everything you have done for me. You were a great boss and are a great person."

"Thank you, Penny, that means a lot to me. I also was proud to work with you and I hope everything works out at the trial. Well, I better… Oh hell, I almost forgot. This morning I called the emergency contact on Juanita's application. It turned out to be a woman who lives in New York. She is going to fly out tomorrow and make arrangements to take Juanita back to New York. She is going to bury Juanita next to her mother."

Penny wondered what Juanita would think of that, but perhaps they could find peace with each other at last.

Doug continued, "She also said she wondered if it would be possible to meet and talk with you while she was here."

Penny was surprised, "Me? Why would she want to talk to me or even know who I am?"

"I don't know. But she was pretty sure about wanting to talk. I told her I didn't know if you could but that I would give you her number. Do you want it?"

"Yeah, I guess it's the least I can do for Juanita."

After she got the number, she and Doug exchanged their goodbyes.

After she hung up, she caught the others up as to everything that had been said.

The others wondered how Juanita's friend had known about Penny and what she wanted to say to her. They even wondered if it would be safe. Leonard finally insisted that his time he was going with her and would not take no for an answer. Penny hugged him and said she wouldn't have it any other way.

Then they talked about the closing of the Club. They all agreed they could understand where Doug was coming from. Then Wyatt made a point they hadn't yet considered. Since Penny was not working as a stripper, was all this danger stuff gone? It could change the whole aspect of the trial. Then everyone agreed they were not going to do any more surmising about the trial. Who knew how the judge would respond to all of this. They agreed there was nothing more to be done. What was going to happen would happen.

Just then Penny's phone rang again, she saw it was from Cherie. She decided she would take this one alone, wanting to talk to her friend.

She excused herself, telling them it was Cherie and headed for her room.

"Hey, Cherie, kind of a 'What the Hell' situation, huh?"

"You took the words out of my mouth. How are you doing?"

"Better since I heard about Mike, but I still am still so confused about Juanita. I just can't help thinking if I had done something different this wouldn't have all happened."

"That's crazy, Penny, you were not responsible for any of this. In fact, it was all set in motion a long time ago. Say, I was wondering if you could come over. I could use some company and would like to talk."

"That's a good idea, I need to let some things out. I can head over now if that is okay."

"I and the wine will be waiting."

Penny went downstairs and told everyone she was going to see Cherie. Leonard asked if she wanted to meet him at the hotel when she was done. She said that would be great.

When Penny went into Cherie's apartment, she was greeted with a hug. They stood and held each other for a long time, both tearing up a little. They both then sat down on the couch as Cherie poured them each a glass. Penny raised hers and said, "To Juanita." Cherie touched her glass to Penny's and they both drank. Then Penny said, "I guess we should call her by her real name."

Cherie said adamantly, "No, she will always be Juanita to me."

They finished off a bottle of wine as they talked about the years at the club, especially any interactions they had with Juanita. Penny told her about the woman that wanted to see her, and although Cherie agreed she should, she admonished her to be careful. She was relieved to hear Leonard would be there.

Then she got a determined look on her face and said, "Speaking of Leonard, have you guys set a date yet?"

Penny glared at her, "I told you to let that go. We will do it when we are ready."

"Oh, Penny, how could you be more ready? Can you really envision yourself marrying anybody but Leonard? You know he wants to be with you. And don't give me any crap about the trial. Whatever happens is not going to change anything. Hell, look how long it took me to get you to tell him you loved him. I want you to go to him now and tell him you want to get married and set the date. Let him know that neither the trial nor anything else will change anything between the two of you."

Penny stared at her. She was right. She had told Leonard she could not imagine a life without them together and she meant it. And she knew Leonard felt the same way about her. They needed to set a date. They had already agreed they would no longer let the trial destroy them. Suddenly, she couldn't wait, she needed to see Leonard, to hold him and let him know how she felt, that she had no more reservations at all.

"I am going to do it. I am going to him right now."

Cherie just beamed. Then said, "I expect to be in the wedding you know."

"How could I keep you out? It's your pushy attitude that has gotten me this far. Would you be my Maid of Honor?"

Cherie looked shocked, then said, "Nothing would make be happier, but how about Bridget?"

"I think she'll understand. And if she doesn't, too bad."

Cherie got up and hugged her once more. "I am so happy for you."

Then Penny had a last panic, "What if he says no?"

Cherie shook her head, "You know that's not going to happen. Leonard loves you more than anything."

"Thanks again, Cherie. Thank you for being my friend."

"Okay, that's enough, I am ready to gag. Get the Hell out of here and go to your man."

Penny rushed down the stairs and out to the truck. She felt a happiness and excitement like she had never known. Then, as she drove toward the hotel, two things that Bernadette and Sara had said occurred to her. Bernadette had talked about them all being at her and Leonard's wedding and that Sara would be the flower girl. Sara had told Leonard she wanted him to marry her Mommy so he could be her Daddy. It was a shame she couldn't guarantee that for Sara. Oh, she assumed Brandon would probably let her be the flower girl at their wedding, even if he won custody, but it wouldn't be the same. Sara would know that she wouldn't be living with them, that Leonard would not be her Daddy.

Then it hit her, but they could make that come true, they could control it themselves. They just needed to get married before the trial. Maybe they would only be a family for a few days, but no one could stop them or take that away from them. But how could they pull it off? How could they get everyone and everything together so fast?

Penny sped up, she needed to talk to Leonard!

 **A/N Your reviews continue to amaze me and bring me joy.**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N Fortunately for the show, I still have no connection to it.**

When Penny reached Leonard's hotel, she was so excited, she couldn't wait for the elevator but practically ran up the stairs. When Leonard let her in, she quickly shed her coat and embraced him, giving him a passionate kiss. As a surprised but pleased Leonard responded, she suddenly stepped back and taking him by the hand let him to the couch, saying "We need to talk."

Still a little stunned, Leonard sat down next to her. Gathering all her new found resolve together, she asked, "Leonard, do you want to marry me?"

Now Leonard was really stunned, 'What was she saying, did it mean what he hoped it did?' He answered, "More than anything, Penny." Then wanting to verify she was saying what he hoped, he asked, "Are you saying you want to get married?"

Penny smiled, "Yes that is exactly what I am saying." She reached out and took his hands. "Leonard, I have no more reservations or doubts. I know this is what I want. That I want to spend my life with you."

Leonard smiled broadly, this is what he had always dreamed of, almost from the first time he saw her. "Well, I guess this means we are engaged."

Penny said a little hesitantly, "Actually, I was hoping to get married before the trial."

Leonard just stared at her. He finally got out. "Isn't that a little fast? Don't misunderstand me, I will marry you whenever you want, but what is the rush?"

Penny got closer to him and continued to squeeze his hands, "Do you remember when Sara told you she wanted you and I to get married so you could be her Daddy?"

Leonard smiled, "Of course, it was one of the special moments of my life."

"Well, I was thinking, if we wait until after the trial, and we lose, it would not be the same. She would be living with Brandon and he would be her father. I want us to be a family, even if only for a few days."

"I understand, Penny, and I think it's a great idea. But I don't know if it is possible. Do you want our friends to be in on it?"

"Yes, most definitely. When Bernadette was here, she talked about us getting married, everyone attending and Sara being the flower girl. I want that for us."

"Penny, you realize it is already Saturday, the trial is only five days away. Doesn't Nebraska have a waiting period?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to think about the obstacles." Suddenly she got serious. "There is another reason I want this. I want to do something we can control. So many events have been out of our control when it comes to the trial and our lives. This is something we can do. We will be a family and no one can ever take that away from us."

Leonard gently removed his hands from hers and opened his laptop. After sometime he said. "It is a three-day waiting period. Since we couldn't even apply for a license until Monday, that eliminates getting married in Nebraska. It appears to be the case in other states as well."

Penny said, "How about Vegas? They would be able to do it anytime twenty-four hours a day and we wouldn't have to find a venue."

Leonard said, "That's true, but how would we all get there in time to have any time to be married. I would doubt there would be seven tickets available this late." He returned to his laptop. It took him awhile, but he finally looked up. "Everything is booked up on airlines for the next two weeks. The only thing I could find was a few tickets that were involved with a package, but we would leave on Sunday and have to stay until Wednesday. Even if we could get them, I don't think we want to spend our family days in Las Vegas and we can't leave the farm that long."

Penny, seeing her hopes fade, said, "Maybe we could drive."

"Penny, it would take probably at least twenty hours each way. Even if we could switch drivers enough to drive straight through, it would be tough with two kids in the car. The trip alone would eat up almost two days" Adding sadly, "We also need some time to plan and prepare. We also don't know if our friends could even be there."

Seeing the look on Penny's face, he realized how much she had wanted this. How much she wanted to do something positive, to take back some control. He also realized how much he wanted it for her and for Sara. Hoping to maybe give her a reason that it might not be a good idea, he asked, "What about the trial, we should ask Henry what he thinks of us doing it. Whether it would be harmful."

Penny's reaction stunned him, and made him realize even more how much she wanted it, needed it.

"I don't give a flying crap about what Henry would think. With all that's happened, there is no way to know what will affect the judge. I have accepted whatever happens will. I am going to make decisions on what I think is best for me, you, and Sara. I know how much this means to her."

As he saw Penny tear up, he hurried over and held her. "It's okay Penny, you're right, no one knows how the trial will go or what will help or hurt." As he held her, he suddenly had a crazy idea. He was about to dismiss it out of hand, but realized he was willing to try anything to give Penny what she wanted.

He stepped back, "I need to call Sheldon and the rest of the guys."

Doug Cummings had decided to go in Sunday and clean out his office at the Club. He had been putting it off since it would be final confirmation that the Club was closed. But in fact, he had already talked to his architects and they had decided the best bet was to turn the club into a series of offices before they tried to sell it. The workers would be there Monday. He took all the pictures off the walls. They represented the many local dignitaries and celebrities that had visited the club and had their pictures taken with Doug and/or the girls. After he had loaded the boxes he had brought, he took them out to his car. Then he returned for one last look. As he stood in the Cattle Call, looking at the empty desks and thinking of the people who had used them, he was surprised to hear a voice call out, "Mr. Cummings?"

He turned and saw Mama standing in the door leading to the hall to the parking lot. "Mama, what are you doing here?"

She looked apologetic, "I was just driving by for one last look, when I saw you going inside. I hope I didn't disturb you, Mr. Cummings. I can leave if you like."

"Don't be silly, Mama, it's great to see you. Come on in, we'll take a last tour together." Then he smiled to himself. "And Mama, since you are no longer my employee, you can call me Doug."

Mama gave a huge smile, "I guess that's true, Doug." Then she continued, "And since I am no longer Mama, you can call me Georgina."

Doug smiled back, "Okay, Georgina, but you will always be Mama."

Mama looked more serious, "I loved the time I spent here and I think it would be a fitting end to my career. I have decided to hang up my tiger skin."

"Well, Ma… Georgina, a lot of people are going to be disappointed. You were amazing. I probably never said it enough, but you were the reason the Club was a success. Not just your act, but your teaching and inspiration for the other girls."

"It's mighty nice of you to say that. I am proud of what we did here, to bring back some real stripping, to have pride in what we did. But Doug, you were the driving force behind it. Your respect for us girls and what we were trying to accomplish is what made the club what it was."

A little embarrassed, Doug changed the subject, "So what are your plans?"

"I'm going to stay with my sister for a while. I'm going to help her and her kids out whatever way I can. It will be good to spend some time with my nieces and nephews."

"Well, good luck. And if you ever need a job, be sure to check with me. I'm sure I can find you something that might interest you."

"Thank you, Doug, I might take you up on that someday."

They spent the next half hour walking around the club, reminiscing about all that had happened there. Finally, Mama said, "I'd better get going. I told my sister I would be there tonight."

They walked together to the back door. They embraced and Doug said, "You take care of yourself and drive carefully."

"You too, Doug, Goodbye."

"Good bye, Georgina."

He watched her go to her car and drive off. He then turned back and locked the door. He never entered the club again.

Penny had finally decided that she needed to call Juanita's friend. Her name was Bonita Reyes and she told Penny she wouldn't be in Omaha until Sunday. They arranged to meet at a well-known cafe near the airport. Bonita had an appointment to talk to the authorities on Monday.

So Leonard and Penny left the others to continue to work on preparations and headed for the meeting. When they arrived, they found Bonita at a table waiting for them. She was a Latina who looked to be in her forties. She was pretty but looked as if she had seen about everything.

She got up to greet them, "You must be Penny, I am Bonita Reyes, please sit down."

As Penny sat, she said, "This is my friend Leonard, I hope you don't mind if he joins us." They had decided there was no reason to let Bonita know what their relationship was.

Bonita smiled, "Of course not, it is good to meet you, Leonard."

Leonard answered, "Nice to meet you too" as he sat down.

After they had ordered just coffee, Bonita began, "I am sure you are wondering how I knew of you and what I wanted to talk to you about."

Getting a nod, she continued, "I am the only person that Maria was in contact with since she left New York. We talked on the phone at least two or three times a week. It may interest you to know that the time she spent in Omaha was the happiest time of her life. Although I know she was very quiet and wanted to be alone, she still enjoyed being around you all. Then after you went to her when she was upset about her mother, she told me how much that had meant to her."

Penny was surprised, "I didn't really do anything."

Bonita smiled a sad smile, "I know what Maria told you about her life, but that was just a small part of it. Maria was used by everyone she met. Her mother, her pimp, her johns. The only ones that could even be considered friends were the other girls she worked with. But they were mostly as bitter and angry as she was. Although it may not seem much to you, that simple act of kindness was important to her."

Leonard asked, "How did you come to be her friend?"

Bonita smiled, "I was her cell mate when she was in prison."

Seeing the shocked looks on their faces, she continued. "You know Daniels, one of the men that tried to kill her? He tried to have her killed in prison. But the Latinas had joined together to protect each other. We were the _Dragones Rojos_ , the Red Dragons."

Penny realized something, 'The Dragon tattoo…"

"Yes, she got it when she joined us. I have one as well."

Penny said quietly, "He must have really hated her."

Bonita smirked, "She was a whore who killed his brother just because he was beating up on another whore."

Bonita then said, "When Maria got out, I still had some time to serve. But the Dragons got her in touch with someone who helped her get a new identity and got her safely out of New York."

Bonita went on, "When they decided not to charge Maria here, she called me and told me that she was afraid that Daniels might find out somehow that she was out here. She knew he had eyes everywhere in New York and thought the fact that Maria Gonzales was in trouble again could get back to him. She was apparently right. She said she had to get away. She told me that if anything would happen to her, she wanted me to contact you, to let you know how much she appreciated what you did. She also said she was afraid she had hurt your chances of you keeping your child?"

Penny answered, "I am in a custody fight for my daughter, but if Juan…Maria did have an effect, it wasn't her fault and frankly, I am not sure if it will be important at all."

Then Penny said, "I have a question. I may be way out of line, and you don't have to answer it if you don't want to."

Bonita looked a little hesitant, "What is it?"

"You said that you were going to bury Maria next to her mother. I got the impression that Maria hated her for what she had done to her."

"That is true. But it was more complicated. Her mother was the only family she ever had. Maria saw how much her mother suffered. I also think she came to realize that her mother really had no say in the matter, she was under the thumb of her pimp. That doesn't make it right or even acceptable, but Maria told me that maybe the two of them could find some peace together in death."

They talked for a little longer, Penny telling Bonita about Maria at work. Then Bonita excused herself saying she needed to firm up some things in New York before she talked to the authorities the next day. She and Penny had a quick hug, Bonita wished her luck in her suit, and then she was gone.

As she and Leonard drove back to the farm, Penny thought of how blessed she really was. To have parents who loved her. To have such good friends. She looked at Leonard, to have a man to love and be loved.

Monday morning, Leonard mused about what ingenuity and planning could accomplish. Of course, lots of money helped.

Tiffany was on duty at the farm Monday morning. She saw Leonard arrive a little earlier than usual, about six o'clock. She noted the time in her log, and started to play with her phone. She would be glad when this job was over. She knew it had been a great deal for the agency, but she was eager to get back to some real detective work. She really wondered what they had accomplished. The biggest area was tracking the relationship between Leonard and Penny. All the rest had been in the news.

She was surprised to see Leonard's car leaving just an hour later. Then she saw it wasn't Leonard in the car. Using her binoculars, she confirmed it was the sister, B something and the two kids.

Then, about a half hour later, she saw the pickup leave. Again, she confirmed it was the parents. After logging the information both times and calling and telling Bruce not to follow, she smirked to herself that Leonard and Penny were now alone in the house. She really wanted to go down and maybe get some damning photographs because she was sure they were not wasting this opportunity. But the client had been adamant that there would be nothing like that done. He felt the judge would not look kindly on it.

After Bridget had driven for about a half hour, she spoke up, "You can get up now, we're almost at the airport."

To Jeremy and Sara's giggles, Penny and Leonard extricated themselves from the blankets that had covered them on the floor of the back seat. Both moaned as they tried to stretch out their muscles. Penny complained, "I am stiff all over. Was this really necessary?"

Leonard answered, "You agreed we didn't want anyone to find out what was going on."

"Okay, okay, but there must have been a better way."

Just then, Bridget turned off the highway and drove on to a private airfield outside of Omaha. She looked at her watch, "Seven thirty. We're right on time."

Leonard smirked, "Sheldon will be proud."

As they were unloading luggage from the trunk, having placed it in there the night before with the car parked in front of the house, figuring there would be no investigators in the fields; Cherie arrived and parked next to them.

"Good morning, everyone."

Sara ran up to her, "Hi, Auntie Cherie, are you going on the plane with us?"

Cherie smiled and picked her up, "Yes, I am. I would never let your mother get married without me."

Putting Sara down, she opened her trunk and took out a suitcase and headed for the leased Lear Jet waiting on the runway. The attendant standing by the door took her bag and carried it on board. Then they all worked to get the rest of the luggage loaded. Just as they finished, the pickup arrived carrying Susan and Wyatt. Soon, everyone was seated and they instructed the pilot they were ready to leave.

At precisely eight thirty, Sheldon would be so proud, the plane lifted off and set a course for Las Vegas, Nevada.

During the flight, everyone made use of the bathroom to get dressed. It was a little hectic and there were a couple of embarrassing moments, but when the plane touched down at a business runway outside of Vegas at nine o'clock local time, everyone was ready. There had not been time for a wedding dress or bridesmaid dresses, for which the bridesmaids were grateful, but all the women looked great. Sara was smiling because she was wearing her new blue dress and Jeremy was complaining about the suit he had to wear. Cherie had gotten Wyatt and Leonard's measurements and had found them tuxedos.

Everyone disembarked and got into the stretch limousine waiting for them. During the trip, the adults enjoyed some champagne, while the kids had ginger ale. They pulled up to the chapel at nine thirty, still on schedule.

As they entered the building they were greeted by the gang, who had driven down on Sunday night. Only Raj was missing, it just being too tight a time frame for him to be able to get away. As the girls went off together, Leonard and the guys stood talking. Then Leonard saw someone he never expected to see.

"Mother?"

"Hello, Leonard."

"What are you doing here?"

Exchanging a glance with Sheldon, his mother said, "Really, Leonard must you always spend time on the obvious. It would appear most likely I am here for the wedding."

Irritated, Leonard continued, "You know perfectly well what I mean, Mother."

"I suppose. Well, you did ask Sheldon to invite me."

"Yes, but I never dreamed you would accept."

"To be perfectly honest, my real purpose in coming was to meet my new grandchild."

"You know about Sara?"

"Of course, Leonard, don't you think I talk to your brother. He has kept me up to date on what has been going on."

Fate picked that moment for Penny and Sara to come up to the group.

Penny stared and could not help blurting out, "Beverly?"

"Hello, Penny, I suppose congratulations are in order." Beverly then looked down at Sara, who was looking at her with some curiosity.

Leonard spoke up, "Mother, this is Sara. Sara, this is my mother Beverly Hofstadter and your new grandmother."

Sara eyes grew wide and she exclaimed, "I have a new grandmother." She turned to Penny, "Look Mommy, this is my new grandma."

Penny couldn't help but smile, "I know Honey."

Then Sara asked, "Do I have a new grandpa too?"

Seeing the look on his mother's face, Leonard quickly answered, "Yes, but he is traveling and couldn't make it. His name is Alfred."

Sara turned back to Beverly, "Grandma, can I have a hug?"

To everyone's surprise, Beverly picked her up and gave her a real hug, before putting her back down. She then turned to Leonard. "Speaking of your brother, he and Hayley send their regrets, they both were involved in projects and just couldn't get away."

Leonard was just staring, not really believing what he was hearing.

Beverly looked down at Sara. "You also have a new Aunt and Uncle, and four new cousins."

Sara smiled broadly and turned to Jeremy, "Did you hear that, we have four new cousins."

At that moment, two of the employees of the chapel came up to them. The woman spoke out. "Is everyone here? We do have a schedule to maintain. We have other services today."

Leonard answered, "Yes, we are all here and ready to go."

She smiled, "Good, now who is the groom?" After Leonard admitted to it, she sent him off with her male colleague to get him to his place by the altar. She then turned to the others. "Okay, who is the bride?"

Leonard stood alone by the altar. He found himself getting nervous. Up to know, everything had been so hectic, he hadn't had time to think. Although he was here, it was still hard for him to believe he and Perry were getting married. During the five years apart, he had driven his hopes and dreams to the back of his mind, but they never left him. He also thought of Sara and how they would be a family. He didn't allow himself to think of what might happen at the trial.

Just then the minister came out and introduced himself and shook his hand.

Then he saw one of the attendants leading Susan, Beverly, and Isaac down to front row just to his right. The sight just boggled his mind. His mother and Penny's mother with Sheldon's son. That was a sight that he would have never imagined.

After they were seated, the music started and he turned toward the doors at the back of the chapel.

Penny stood at the back, watching everyone getting ready for their walk down the aisle. The realization that she was actually getting married had finally hit her. All she could feel was joy and gratitude. Grateful that fate had given her a second chance and that she hadn't blown it. Not that she hadn't tried. She saw Cherie up front and as she caught her eye and Cherie smiled at her, she realized how much Cherie had done to make this day possible.

Just then she heard the music start and saw Cherie and Sheldon start down the aisle. She had to smirk when Cherie hooked her arm with Sheldon and made sure he brushed up against her breast.

Then Howard and Bridget walked after them. She thought back when she first met Howard and how much he had changed after he got with Bernadette. Still, she was glad she was no longer stripping because he had often hinted how much he wanted to catch her act.

Then Amy and Bernadette went out. They had become such close friends. She hoped that maybe over time she could be best friends with them again.

Then it was Sara and Jeremy's turn. Suddenly, she knew all the work had been worthwhile. She had already felt it when they had told Sara they were getting married and saw her joy and excitement. But now she knew she had been right to hold the wedding now. Sara was grinning from ear to ear. Penny felt herself tearing up with joy when she saw Sara literally skipping down the aisle, as poor Jeremy struggled to keep up while keeping the ring pillow upright.

Then her Father was beside her. "Well Slugger, are you ready to go?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, Dad, let's get me married."

Wyatt turned serious, "Your Mother and I are so happy for you. Leonard is a wonderful man and he loves you so much."

Penny teared up a little and then confidently said something she had not been sure of in the past, "I know Dad, but not more than I love him."

 **A/N Thanks again for all your reviews. I am really sorry it is so long between chapters. I plan to make a real effort to get the next one out a little sooner. Thanks to everyone for your patience**.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N This is still not my property. Sorry again for the long time between chapters. Thank you for your patience.**

As he stood by Leonard waiting for Penny to come down the aisle, Sheldon reflected on how much his life had been changed by three individuals. He looked over and saw his son, HIS SON! with Penny and Leonard's mothers and thought how each meeting had led to the next.

He shuddered to think how his life might have continued on a lonely path if Leonard had not answered his ad. They each became the other's first real friend and had both grown during their years as roommates.

If it had not been for Leonard, he would not have met Penny. She just would have been another neighbor perhaps exchanging greetings if they ran into each other on the stairs. He never was really sure what his relationship with Penny exactly was. Sibling? Adversary? He just knew she stretched him, made him expand his horizons, was his friend.

He also knew that if he had never met Penny and Leonard, there would have never been a Shamy. He looked over and caught Amy's eye as she smiled at him. Now, he could never imagine not having loved her.

He looked back at Leonard, saw his anticipation and a little nervousness. He was so happy that he and Penny had finally made their way to each other. They deserved their happiness.

Beverly sat next to Isaac and Susan. She had wondered if she had made the right decision to attend the wedding. She and Leonard had always been more like antagonists than Mother and son. She had trouble relating to him from the time he was born. He was so different from his brother and sister. Where they had been almost perfect as babies and children, well-mannered and able to amuse themselves, Leonard had constantly craved attention from the time he was born. He had always wanted to be held, to be with her, to be loved. She had not been ready to do that. Instead she became intrigued by it and spent her time testing him and recording everything he did. She realized now how difficult it must have been for him, to have the person he wanted to love instead treat him as a source of study. As a baby it confused him, and as he got older, angered him. But, he could never stop being what he was, someone who looked for the good in people, who perhaps went a little too far to attempt to please them. Yet, he had become a great friend to Sheldon and now was marrying someone he loved dearly and Beverly hoped, felt the same toward him.

Just then the music started and she rose with the others and turned to see Penny and her father come through the door. Beverly had to admit that Penny made a beautiful bride. She also looked very happy.

Leonard watched as his bride moved toward him. God, she was so beautiful. But, she was so much more than that. Then he looked down and saw Sara move close to him, smiling happily as she saw her mother. Leonard then almost got overwhelmed and had to work to not break down. He loved them both so much.

As Penny walked down the aisle, she saw Sara move over close to Leonard and saw her smiling happily at her. She suddenly just felt like her heart might burst. She loved them both so much.

Wyatt and Penny stopped before Leonard. He released her arm and entwined it with Leonard's. He then gave her a peck on the cheek and shook Leonard's free hand as he said, "Never has a father been so happy to entrust his daughter to another man."

He then reached down and picked up Sara and grabbing Jeremy's hand, took them and sat down with them next to his wife, as she took his hand.

After the minister had finished the ceremony, he asked if they had prepared anything to say. Leonard nodded and they turned to face each other. Leonard went first. "I believe I've loved you from the moment I first saw you, but each moment since has made me realize how much I love you. Each day I know you, I find something more to love. This is the happiest moment of my life."

Penny answered, "All my life I thought I wanted and needed fame, that it was what I was meant to be. Now I know what I wanted and needed was you, and that we were meant to be."

As they held each other's hands, still facing each other, the minister said, "I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride."

As they engaged in a rather passionate kiss, Howard broke everyone up by saying under his breath, "Get a room."

Afterwards, they adjourned to another room to eat some sandwiches and talk. Sara sat happily between her new parents, talking excitedly about the wedding. Sheldon even did his best man duty by giving a short speech, declaring how he knew they should always be together and admonishing them for taking so long.

Then, as they all rose to leave, Beverly came over to talk to Leonard and Penny. "I wondered if I should come to this wedding. After all, I have hardly been the best mother." As Leonard looked down at his shoes, she continued, "But, now I realize it was one of the best decisions I ever made." She then waited until Leonard looked up and looked him in the eye. "I will never be the mother you want or probably deserve, but I want you to know how proud I am of you and am so happy you and Penny have found each other." She looked down at Sara, "And, I want to be a part of my new granddaughter's life, if you will let me."

Leonard looked at Penny who was smiling, and turned back to Beverly, "We would like that very much."

Sara then looked up at Beverly and said, "Can I have a good-bye hug?"

As Beverly reached down and picked her up, Leonard and Penny both saw what could pass for a tear on Beverly's cheek, but decided they had imagined it.

After Beverly put Sara back down and gave Penny and Leonard a cursory hug, she said her goodbyes and walked off.

Sara looked up at Leonard, and causing both Penny and Leonard to want to smile and cry at the same time said, "Daddy, she seems nice, but I think I like Grandma better."

Fighting to control himself, hearing her call him Daddy, Leonard smiled broadly and said, "We all do."

After saying goodbye and exchanging often tearful hugs with everyone, Leonard and the others left for the airport, no one having mentioned the trial.

They boarded the plane and as it took off on its return flight to Omaha, everyone worked to get back into their original clothes. At one point, Cherie sat down next to Penny and gave her a hug. "I am so happy for you, it was a wonderful wedding. I enjoyed meeting your friends, but I think I can see what you say about Sheldon."

Penny smiled, "You should have known him before Amy and Isaac." Then she leaned in close to Cherie and said, "Sara called Leonard, Daddy."

Cherie put her hand up to her mouth. "Oh, Penny, that's great. How did Leonard react?"

"He hid it pretty well, but I could see he was close to losing it. Oh, Cherie, it's been such a wonderful day and I owe a lot of it to you."

"Don't be silly, I may have pointed you in the right direction a couple times, but it's you, Leonard, and Sara who are why you are so happy." Then with a stubborn set to her jaw, "And that damn judge better not try to mess it up."

Seeing the look on Penny's face, she quickly said, "I'm sorry, Penny, but the whole thing just makes me mad." Then she smirked, "Maybe I should seduce him instead."

Penny then laughed, "Dammit it Cherie, you're incorrigible." She then reached out and said, "I am so glad to have you as my friend."

Turning serious, Cherie said, "I love you, too."

Then returning to type, she stood up, "Well, looks like it's my turn." As she started to take off her dress, Penny said, "Why don't you wait until you get in the bathroom."

Cherie stuck her tongue out at her, "Party Pooper."

Penny smiled and shook her head as she saw Cherie head for the restroom, pulling her dress off just before she closed the door.

About the same time that Leonard and Penny were exchanging their vows, Wanda and Brandi, two of the college girls that had worked at the Club as hostesses, went into a quiet bar on the outskirts of Omaha as they had been doing every Monday for some time.

As they got seated and had their drinks, Wanda took a sip and then spoke up, "Well, here we are again. Afraid will be the last time. I'm going to miss this cash."

Brandi took a gulp of her drink and answered, "I, for one, am glad to see it end. I have felt so guilty the whole time. After all, Penny never did anything to hurt us."

Wanda glared at her, "Oh, don't give me that guilt act. You spent the money same as I did. Besides, what did we really give them? I think it was a waste of their money. The real juicy stuff came from the news. Don't try to tell me you're not going to miss the money."

Brandi took another drink, "Okay, okay, but I'm still glad it's over."

"Be quiet, here he comes."

Brad came in and sat across from them. At first, he had looked forward to these meetings. These two were really hot. But he had quickly discovered they were just stuck up bitches who didn't even care if he existed as long as he had their money. "Hello, girls. I guess this is our last little get together."

Wanda answered, "Yeah, looks like it. Do you have our money?"

Brad took out two envelopes and slid them across the table. "There it is." Then he smirked, "Don't forget to report it to the IRS."

Wanda smirked, "Yeah, right." Then she lifted her glass, "Thanks for everything Brad, take care."

Brad got up, "Yeah, Yeah." Then he left.

Wanda turned to Brandi as she slipped the envelope into her purse, "Well, I sure won't miss that jerk."

As Brandi also put her envelope away, she said as she started to get up, "That we do agree on."

Just then someone stepped up to the table, "Wanda, Brandi, what a surprise running into you here. Sit down, let me buy you a drink."

Both the girls just stared and without thinking sat back down. Brandi managed to get out, "Doug, what are you doing here?"

Doug sat down across from them. He looked at them and sadly said, "I would have been shocked at whoever we found out that was involved but I am really surprised it was you two. I thought you had more on the ball than this."

Brandi stammered, "What are you talking about?"

Doug smiled coldly, "You can drop the charade. They're not the only ones that can hire a detective. He watched you last week at this very bar and followed your friend back to his agency. That, plus the fact he discovered how you have had plenty of extra money to spend. "Why did you do it? Didn't I pay you enough? And how could you do this to one of the other employees? I trusted you all."

Wanda had recovered her bravado. "Oh, don't give me that. You just liked having half-naked women around. Anyway, we didn't really give them anything they could use. Penny did that to herself."

Doug turned to Brandi. "Is that what you think too, Brandi, that the club was all about me getting off? All of you were important to me. I thought I had earned your loyalty at least."

Brandi just looked down, but Wanda went on, "Whatever. But what are you going to do about it? There is nothing illegal in what we did." She smirked and went on, "It's not like you can fire us."

Doug's eyes turned cold and Wanda shivered a little in spite of herself.

"You're right, Wanda, although if I really wanted to try, my lawyer could probably come up with something we could go after you with, but I don't want to waste my time. In fact, I suppose I will pay you your vacation and sick time, because you are legally entitled to it."

Then, he got up and continued to talk, "But, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for your severance pay. And…", he leaned down and looked at them, "I would also suggest you never try to use me as a reference. It's also possible I might just mention this little incident when I talk to some of my professional friends. It might somehow even get back to the university."

He straightened up, "Have a nice day." He then walked out without looking back.

After landing at the airport they took off from, Penny and the others traveled back to the farm the same way they had left.

That night, although someone might have suspected something different from her reputation in high school, Penny had sex for the first time in her own bed.

For the next two days, Penny, Leonard, and Sara were inseparable. They spent all their time together. They borrowed a horse from their neighbor so they could all ride together, riding all the way down the trail to the river.

For two wonderful days and nights, they were a family. Although they both thought of doing so, neither made a move to call Henry. It was like if someone else knew, it would make it different, make them face it might be short-lived. They also figured that Henry would feel obliged to let the other side know.

Sara continued to call Leonard, Daddy, and he didn't want to think of her being with her biological father. They also weren't sure what affect the marriage would have on the trial. In the end, they decided to tell Henry at the trial.

Wednesday afternoon, Old Man Hays called Henry into his office.

"Have a seat, Henry, I just wanted to talk to you one last time about the custody trial. I know it's too late for me to offer any sage advice, but just wanted your last impressions. It certainly has been an eventful last couple of weeks."

Henry sat down and smirked, "You can certainly say that, Mr. Hays. You know, I have never gone into a trial without a good idea of what was going to happen, of what I needed to accomplish, what points I needed to make. This time, so many things have happened, and almost all of them can be twisted either way. I also have no idea how the judge will react to them. I do know a lot of early assumptions of what would happen are gone. I have to admit, I am glad I'm the defense and get to go second. I frankly wouldn't know exactly what tack I would take if I were in their shoes. My best guess is that although Penny is no longer associated with the club, they will say everything has proven out about her not being careful in her life conditions. They can also bring up that she currently has no way to support her and Sara, although Doug Cummings has told me he can testify that he has a job for her. As far as Leonard and Penny's relationship, I don't know how they will handle that. I am not even sure where they stand now. In fact, we haven't talked since last week. I'm sure it is a very traumatic time for them."

Hays stepped in, "Well, Henry, all that I can say is that I have supreme confidence that you will find a way to win this. Nothing that has happened has led me to believe that Sara will be better off with her father than in her current condition. You just have to make the judge realize that."

Henry smiled ruefully, "Thanks for that, Sir. You can rest assured they will get the best defense possible."

"That's all anyone can ask." He rose from his chair. "Good luck, Henry."

"Thank you again, Sir." As he was leaving, he turned back. "Hell, maybe I should have told them to get married." He then went out the door.

Wednesday morning, Warren Hampton drove his Mercedes to Betty's hotel. He had told her he would pick her up. As he was waiting, he thought about the trial. He should be overjoyed, everything they had wanted had come true. Prentis had been involved in scandal after scandal. They had even shut the club down. She and Leonard had given up any pretense of not being involved, with him staying overnight at the farm. So, why was he worried? Maybe it was the reports from the agency about Tuesday. It seems that the two of them had been together with the kid all day, acting like they were a family. The report seemed to reflect that they seemed like a family.

He chided himself. He was overthinking it. There was no way she could present a picture of an idyllic farm life after all that had happened. Sara's life had been uprooted and a stable two parent family would look good to the judge.

Just then Betty came out and got in beside him, placing her briefcase on the floor, saying, "Good Morning."

Warren answered in kind, and then Betty said, "Did you talk to Brandon and Eileen this morning?"

"Yes, they are going to meet us at the plane. We need to stop by the office and pick up the stuff we need for the trial."

"All right." She turned to him with a smile, "I see it is thirty degrees in Omaha today."

Warren turned slightly toward her, "I didn't need to hear that, although I was told it could be much worse."

They arrived at their office and carried out several boxes and loaded them in the car. They then drove off, heading for the airport. Driving up to the tarmac at the Business Terminal, they were greeted by a porter with a gurney they loaded the boxes on. They walked to the firm's company jet sitting on the runway.

As they entered, they saw Brandon and Eileen waiting for them. After they exchanged greetings and everyone was settled, Brandon said, "Well, this is it. It seems like it has taken forever to come."

Warren, said, "Now, it will soon be over." Seeing the nervousness and concern on their faces, he said, "Relax, when we return, Sara will be with us."

Brandon managed a smile. Eileen said, "We know, it is just so hard to wait."

The plane taxied down the runway, and rising into the wind, it took a long, slow turn and headed for Omaha, Nebraska.

 **A/N Another set of wonderful and interesting reviews.**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N I still don't own anything. But I do enjoy borrowing them**.

The gang had been scheduled to arrive at the farm about eleven o'clock in the morning the day before the trial. However, it was almost eight o'clock at night when they finally showed up. It turns out they canceled their original flights when they discovered Raj would be able to get away and he said he would pick them up in his family jet. Unfortunately, there were delays in leaving India.

Mercifully, by the time they arrived at the farm, Amy had quieted Sheldon down to just an occasional complaint. All was forgiven when they saw the joy of Penny and Raj reuniting and Raj meeting Sara.

They were all amused when they saw the meeting between Sara and Isaac. Despite the differences in ages, they hit it off immediately and were soon playing video games with Jeremy.

After everyone was introduced to all members of the family, the adults sat down and discussed the trial. Everyone was surprised when they discovered Penny and Leonard had kept their marriage secret. They all agreed it would be interesting when they popped the news at the trial.

Eventually, Howard, Bernadette, and Raj were sent off to Leonard's hotel room, while the Coopers slept in the living room.

Brandon and Eileen arrived in a cab at the Courthouse alone after Betty and Warren had left earlier to be sure everything was in readiness and unload their information from the rental car. Both Brandon and his wife had not been able to sleep. They had just been too excited about the trial finally arriving and wondering what would happen. In spite of Hampton's confidence, they knew it could go either way. Also, Brandon had been feeling some moments of guilt as he thought of how he had once treated Penny and Sara. But his wife was his strength and made him realize they were doing what was best for Sara. She reminded him of the terrible things that had happened to those who worked with Penny and how it could have been Penny as well. She also reminded him that Penny now had no way to support Sara and her next job could be even worse.

Brandon was also bothered that Leonard and Penny were apparently now living together and worried about how that could affect Sara as well.

As they entered the main lobby of the Courthouse, they were confronted with another delay. There was apparently a need to go through security and the line was quite long. Apparently, a lot of people had court business.

Then he saw Penny up near the front of the line, about to go through the metal detector. Seeing her in person after all these years brought back a flood of memories, including the bad ones he had been suppressing. Then he noticed Leonard and Sara were with her and what he saw wrenched his heart. Leonard was carrying Sara. That was have made him pause a little, but it was how they interacted together that tore at him. Sara had her arm around his neck and leaning into his chest. It was apparent she was completely comfortable and happy where she was. Then he saw them talk to Penny and he realized they looked like a family. His wife noticed him staring and when she saw what he was looking at, reached out and squeezed his hand. He turned to her and smiled to let her know he was all right.

As Leonard and Penny passed through the detector they rejoined the others and headed for the courtroom. After working with the bailiff as he checked everyone on his guest list, they went in to find seats. When Penny and Leonard saw Sally coming down the hall, they left the others, turning Sara over to her grandparents as they went to meet her.

They discovered that Henry was with old Mr. Hays in a small waiting room for attorneys. Leonard decided it was time to let him know about the marriage and signaled to Penny who nodded. Sally told them that Sara would spend her time in a room set up for children until she was needed. She said someone would need to be with her. Penny decided that they would ask Bridget if she would do it and asked Sally if Jeremy could stay with her. Sally saw no problem with that and they entered the courtroom to talk to her.

Leonard found his way to the room that Sally had described and knocked on the door. Upon being asked to enter, he stared in amazement. For the second time in a week, his family had managed to shock him. For sitting next to Henry and Mr. Hays with an amused smile at seeing Leonard's reaction, was none other than one Michael Hofstadter.

Leonard couldn't help it, he blurted out, "Michael, what are you doing here?"

Michael then smiled that condescending smile that he shared with his mother. "Mother is right, you do have a flair for asking the obvious. I have come for the trial. I would have let you know, but I was involved it a case concerning the University and did not think I would be able to get away. But we had a surprise settlement and I was able to catch a late flight."

He went on, "I have been discussing the case this morning with Mr. Hays and Henry." He then smirked and said, "You and Penny have not been honest with your Lawyer. They were quite surprised when I told them you and Penny were married."

Leonard felt himself getting embarrassed, but then decided he had no reason to be. "It was what Penny and I decided. I was coming now to tell Henry myself." He turned to Henry, "I'm sorry if we offended you, but it was a personal decision."

Henry smiled, "I must admit I was quite shocked, but what's done is done. At least you gave me a small heads up before the trial. You know I will have to let the court know when the trial starts."

"I understand."

Then Leonard turned to Michael, "Sorry I was a little rude. I do appreciate you coming. It was just quite a shock."

Michael smiled, "That's all right. I should have called you, but I couldn't resist surprising you. I must say, from what I've been told, you have quite a complicated situation here."

Leonard nodded his head ruefully, "That's for sure." Then he looked at the others, "But if anyone can work it out, Henry can." Then he turned back to his brother, "I probably never thanked you enough for pointing me toward him."

"Glad it turned out." He then looked at his watch. "I think you all better start heading for the courtroom."

Leonard then turned to Henry, "Is it too late to get Michael on the visitor list? I would like him to be in the court room."

Michael again gave his irritating smile, "No need to worry, Mr. Hays has arranged for me to be designated a legal observer and to sit with him."

Penny sat at the Defendant table and looked around the Courtroom. For the most part, it was your basic room, similar to what you see on _Law and Order_. The Plaintiff's table was to her right and the Judge's bench in front of them. A laptop computer sat on his bench and the witness chair was to the bench's left. The main difference was that there was no jury box.

Henry sat to her right, while Sally was to her left. She glanced over to the Plaintiff's table. She had experienced conflicting emotions upon seeing Brandon. It consisted mostly of anger, but she was surprised it brought back memories as well. She also felt a little guilt for how she had become involved with him. His wife was what she had expected from the pictures and what she had read of her. She was elegant and perfectly dressed. Penny decided she that she wasn't that beautiful, then snickered to herself that she was being a little catty.

Their lawyer looked impressive. He could easily play one in the movies. But she decided she would take Henry any time. The other lawyer was a little plump and not too impressive.

She then looked around the audience area and reflected how fortunate she was to have so many good friends. She then could not help smiling, and such interesting ones.

Starting from the left, Howard was sitting next to Bernadette with Raj coming next. It had been wonderful to see Raj again. Then came Amy holding Isaac in her lap sitting next to Sheldon. Penny had been happy to see how Sara and Isaac took to each other. It kind of brought her and the gang back together. She smiled to see Mama sitting next to Sheldon. Now there was a contrast. Mary was sitting next to Mama with Mike and his wife on her left. It was so great to see Mike, even though his arm was still in a sling. Then last, Howard sat next to her. Penny almost giggled, it was a Howard sandwich.

In the next row, she was a little surprised to see Doug sitting with Mr. Hays and Leonard's brother. She had been stunned when Leonard told her he had come. She had just had time to say hello before they needed to sit down. He was like a taller Leonard. She supposed he could be considered more handsome, but not to Penny. She smirked to himself, he also seemed to have the Hofstadter pole up his ass.

Just behind her were the loves of her life. Her Mom and Dad were on the aisle, with Leonard to their left just behind her. Cherie finished the row. Bridget, Sara, and Jeremy were stashed in a room somewhere.

Penny's musings were interrupted when a uniformed man entered the court through a side door. He moved to a spot in front of the judge's bench and announced, "Hear ye, Hear ye, the Second District Family court for Douglas County, Nebraska in now in session, his Honor, Judge Patrick Nelson presiding. Please rise."

As everyone rose to their feet, the Judge entered the court and crossed over to his bench. Penny had seen his picture, but he seemed more impressive in person. He could play the judge in the same movie Hampton was a lawyer.

After he had gotten settled and hit some keys on his computer, the Bailiff announced, "You may be seated." When everyone was seated and settled, the judge checked his computer once more and addressed the court. "Good morning. We are here this morning to settle the custody of one Sara Prentis."

He turned toward the Plaintiff's table. "Is the Plaintiff present and ready to proceed?"

Hampton rose from his seat, "We are, your Honor. Warren Hampton representing."

"Thank you, Mr. Hampton." He then turned toward the Defendant table, "Is the Defendant present and ready to proceed?"

Henry rose from his seat, "Henry Thompkins for the defense. We are ready to proceed, your Honor."

As the lawyers introduced themselves the judge again wondered what circumstances had brought two such high powered lawyers to a custody case in Omaha. What was it about these clients that had caused two prestigious law firms to assign their best lawyers. Oh well, maybe he could talk to Mr. Hays later about it.

As Henry sat back down, the judge continued, "Very well then. Before we begin, I would like to cover a few points. For the most part, we will proceed as any other court room. The Plaintiff will present their case first, calling their witnesses that will be subject to questioning by the defense. When their case has been presented, the Defense will present its. I will expect the respect of everyone involved."

He paused, and then went on, "However, there are also some differences from a criminal or other civil case. First, of course, there is no Jury, so there will be no need to attempt to play to them. Also, there should be no need for objections as I will protect both sides, although you may bring any point you wish to make to the Court's attention. Also, as our purpose here is to determine what is in the best interests of the child, we shall be much more lax in what testimony will be allowed. For example, heresy evidence will normally be permitted. We will also allow witnesses to expound on their answers. I will also take a more active part in the procedures and will often ask questions myself. Although I realize both sides are fighting to win, our concern is to find the truth and determine what is best for the child. Does anyone have any questions?"

When no one spoke, he turned toward the Plaintiff's table. "Mr. Hampton, you may call your first witness."

Just then, Henry rose and interrupted, "Excuse me, Your Honor, but there is a matter I must bring before the Court."

The judge turned back, looking a little exasperated, "Can't this wait?"

"No, your Honor."

"Very well, what is it?"

Taking a small breath, Henry continued, "I was informed just before Court that my client has been married since Monday, January the twenty-third."

Before the judge could speak, Hampton was on his feet, his face flushed, "Your Honor, this is inexcusable. It is obviously an attempt to subvert this trial. It is apparent this 'marriage' is nothing more than a sham to cover for the fact that the defense realizes that it has no answers to the events that have borne out every contention of the Plaintiffs. The timing of this announcement is also very suspect."

The judge, who had been glaring at Henry, turned his glare on Hampton. "Sit down, Mr. Hampton. In the future you will gain permission before addressing the court."

Hampton sat down grudgingly saying, "Sorry, your Honor."

Turning back to Henry, who was still standing uncomfortably, the judge said, "In spite of Mr. Hampton's outburst, I must admit the Court shares his concerns. I hope you are being completely honest, Mr. Thompkins, and that you had no knowledge of this before today."

"I swear as an Officer of the Court, that I knew nothing of it before today."

"Very well, you may be seated."

Then Mr. Hampton rose again, "May I address the Court?"

"Go ahead."

"In light of this information, I respectively suggest that this trial be postponed so that the Plaintiffs may have time to do our own investigation of this new information. Or that the court rule that this is an obvious attempt to deceive the court and have it be a part of its decision."

"Please sit down, Mr. Hampton. The Court thanks you for your input, but does not believe either action is necessary or prudent."

He sat back for a few moments and then sat back up. "However, I do not believe we can proceed with the trial until it is determined whether this is an attempt to deliberately influence this court."

"Therefore, we will postpone calling witnesses while that determination is made." As he saw Hampton starting to rise again, he went on, "I am sure both sides are confident in the Court's ability to do so. Mr. Hampton?"

Hampton was not sure at all and was about to object when he realized all he would probably accomplish is alienating the judge. "Of course, your Honor."

The judge then turned toward Henry, "Mr. Thompkins?"

Henry was not happy either. He wanted to talk to Perry and Leonard. To see what the hell had possessed them. But he decided he needed to trust them. He had come to like both of them. Besides, the judge had obviously made up his mind. He rose quickly and said, "The Defense has no objection."

The judge smiled with satisfaction.

"Very well. This is how we will proceed. I am going to call certain individuals to the stand. They will be sworn in and questioned by me. When I am done, I will allow both sides to ask questions. However, those questions will be limited to the matter now before the court, whether or not this marriage is an attempt to influence the Court. Is that understood?"

Getting nods from both lawyers, he called the Bailiff over and quietly talked to him. The Bailiff turned and said, "Will Miss Penelope Prentis please take the stand?"

Penny was caught off guard and looked quizzically at Henry. When he shrugged, she looked back at Leonard who tried to give her a supporting look. After she was seated in the witness chair, the Bailiff came up and said, "Please raise your right hand," when Penny did so, he went on, "Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God."

"Yes."

"Please state your full name."

"Penelope Susan Hofstadter."

As she said her name, she smiled to herself as she saw the judge do a double take and check his computer. He then turned back as if to ask a question, but then she saw him realize what was going on.

He smiled, "I assume that is your married name."

"Yes, your Honor."

"You know, I will be talking with you a bit and would rather not have to constantly say Mrs. Hofstadter. May I call you Penelope?"

"I prefer Penny."

"Very well, Penny it is." Then with a small smile he said, "You may call me your Honor."

Being rewarded with a few snickers from the audience, he went on.

"Why did you get married last Monday?"

Penny sat up, well that was getting right to the point.

"Because I am in love." Penny couldn't help but smile to herself. She was the one who had so struggled to say it and now she was saying it under oath.

"I would assume that is true, but won't you still be in love later? Why the rush?"

Penny got a little nervous. Would he understand about Sara? The excuse of having a couple days as a family sounded a little weak now. But it was the truth.

"It is a little hard to explain."

"That's all right, we have plenty of time. Just tell it in your own words."

Penny took a deep breath, "I wanted to get married before the trial because I knew it was possible we would lose and I didn't want Sara to be living with Brandon when we got married"

"Were you afraid he would stop her from being in the wedding?"

Oh crap, Penny thought, I am blowing this. "No, that's not it. When we got married, I wanted Leonard to be her father, even if only for a few days. I wanted us to have a chance to be a family."

The judge sat back. Then he leaned forward and said, "Let me see if I understand, you wanted Sara to think of Leonard as her father, even if only for a few days."

"Yes."

"Were you thinking that this would influence her to be with you instead of Brandon? Were you attempting to affect her testimony?

Penny was stunned. What was he saying? Was that what she was doing? NO! that had never occurred to her.

"No, your honor. I never thought of anything like that. I was just trying to give us a chance to live as a family. I was just trying to do the best thing for us. I just wanted us to have the feeling of being a family."

"Then you didn't do it because you thought it would help your case?"

"No, in fact, we realized it could hurt us because it would look like we did it for that reason."

"Why did you keep it a secret?"

"I just wanted it to be our time. I didn't want it to have anything to do with the trial."

The judge sat back again as Penny waited nervously.

"I gather Leonard is your husband's name."

"Yes."

"How long have you known Leonard?"

"About nine years."

"How did you meet?"

"I moved into the apartment across from his when I lived in Pasadena."

"When did you become involved?"

About two years after we met. We had tried dating once before but it hadn't gone anywhere. Then we got back together and were together for about eight months."

"Was it an intimate relationship?"

Penny smiled, "Oh yeah!" Then turned red as someone in the audience laughed.

The judge used his gavel but had a small smile on his face.

"How did it end?"

Penny didn't like the way the questioning was going. She wasn't sure that she wanted all this aired. But then she shrugged, these were her friends and she had sworn to tell the truth.

"Leonard told me he loved me, and I wasn't ready to say it back. I wasn't ready for a commitment."

"Then what happened?"

We went back to being friends and then he got involved seriously with another woman. I thought I had lost him so I went back to dating seriously. Then I met Brandon."

"So, your relationship was over?"

Penny was really upset now. How could she explain about her and Leonard? How could this judge possible understand?

"Yes, but you have to understand, I never stopped having feelings for Leonard. But I knew that what I had always feared had happened. Leonard had met someone that was perfect for him. Someone that could make him happy where I couldn't. Getting involved with Brandon seemed to justify my breaking up with Leonard. We were both with those we were meant to be with."

The judge looked confused. "What do you mean the ones you should be with? Why didn't you feel you should be with Leonard?

"Leonard is a genius. He needed someone as smart as him. Someone who could help him in his career. Someone that wouldn't embarrass him with his collogues. On the other hand, Brandon lived the life I had wanted since I was a child. I always dreamt of marrying someone rich and famous. He wasn't a movie star, but he lived an exciting life."

"Did you love Brandon?"

"No. But when I was pregnant, I wanted to believe I was. I needed to believe we were supposed to be together. You probably know the rest. I let Brandon pay me off because I was afraid he would seek custody of Sara and for five years I had no contact with Leonard or any of my old friends."

"How did you meet Leonard again?"

"I ran into him at a local mall. He was down here to look at a project and it just happened."

"When was this?"

"Just over a month ago."

"So, in just a month you discovered you were in love enough to get married. In a month you decided this was the man you wanted to be the father of your daughter?"

Penny felt herself tearing up. "Saying it like that makes it sound hard to believe. But I think we never stopped being in love and the things that had kept us apart seemed ridiculous now. It was strange; back in Pasadena, everyone thought I was too beautiful to be with Leonard, but now everyone wondered why he would be interested in me. I finally got it through my head that what I needed, what I wanted, was to spend my life with him. As for Sara, there just seemed to be something between them. However strange it sounds she really came to love him."

The judge sat back. "I think I have heard all I need." He turned to the Plaintiff's table, "Mr. Hampton, do you have any questions?"

"Yes I do, your honor."

Hampton came toward the witness chair. "Now Penny, I have just a couple…"

Penny interrupted, "Mrs. Hofstadter."

Caught off guard, Hampton said, "What?"

"You may call me Mrs. Hofstadter."

Hampton gave a cold smile, "Mrs. Hofstadter, how long did you date my client?"

"About four months."

"Four months. And after that short length of time, you were willing to marry him even though you didn't love him?"

"I was pregnant and …."

"So, you wanted to have him make an honest woman out of you? Didn't you see it as a golden opportunity to become the wife of a very wealthy man?"

"No. That wasn't it. I wanted to believe he loved me. It all seems foolish now, but I thought this is what was meant to be. That my breaking up with Leonard would let us both be happy."

"Come now, Mrs. Hofstadter, you had no thoughts of Leonard at all. You couldn't say you loved him because he was not what you wanted. You wanted someone rich, someone handsome, someone exciting. Everything that he wasn't."

Penny felt herself getting angry, "That's what I thought I wanted. That's what I thought I needed. I was stupid and immature. I thought I had lost Leonard and he would be better of without me. I am not that same person anymore."

"Are you sure? Back then you were willing to get married because you were pregnant even though you admit you didn't love him. Then you left Leonard and your friends because you were afraid you would lose your daughter. And now you married Leonard because you are trying to save your child again even though you don't love him."

Penny felt the tears falling and cursed herself for being weak. "I do love him. I love him and Sara more than anything and he loves Sara and me. You can twist things anyway you want, but that won't change the truth."

Hampton looked at Penny crying and turned to the judge, "Your Honor."

The judge spoke up. "Are you all right, Penny, do you need some time?"

Penny pulled herself together, "No, I am okay, I want to go on."

The judge shrugged and motioned for Hampton to continue.

"I just have one more question. Mrs. Hofstadter, one of the points your lawyer's brief stated why you should retain custody was that going with my client would disrupt your daughter's life on the farm where she was happy. With your marriage to Hofstadter, aren't you going to do the same thing? After all, Hofstadter's job is in Pasadena, his future is there. Aren't you guilty of what you accused my client of doing?"

Henry rose up and interrupted, "Your Honor, isn't this question outside of the parameters you set? It does not go to the question of whether or not she got married to influence the trial."

The judge thought for a moment and then said, "Technically you may be right, Mr. Thompkins, but I will allow the question because I believe I will find the answer useful."

He turned to Penny, "Go ahead and answer."

"We have discussed this since the wedding. While it is true we will most likely eventually return to Pasadena, we have decided we will stay in Omaha for the time being."

Mr. Hampton was about to follow up, when the judge interrupted, "I think I have given you enough leeway on this point. Do you have another line of questioning?"

'No, your Honor."

As Hampton returned to his seat, the judge turned to Henry, "Do you have any questions for this witness.?"

Just one, your Honor. "Penny, let's clarify this for the last time. Did you marry Leonard with the intent to affect the outcome of this trial?

"No, I married him in spite of the fact it could affect the trial."

"I have no more questions."

"Very well. Penny, you can step down."

Just as she started to leave, he stopped her, "One more thing, is your husband in the courtroom?"

"Yes, he is."

"Thank you."

Penny returned to her seat and Leonard and Cherie reached out and touched her shoulders.

The Bailiff spoke up, "Will Leonard Hofstadter take the stand?"

Leonard got up and worked his way to the witness stand.

After the Bailiff swore him in, he asked him for his full name.

"Doctor Leonard Leaky Hofstadter."

Before she could stop herself, Mary snickered. When she saw everyone looking at her, she turned red and mumbled, "Sorry."

The judge looked at Leonard, he could see why there were those that would think Penny was too good-looking for him.

"Leonard, it is ok if I call you Leonard?"

"Yes, your Honor."

"Are you a medical doctor?"

"No, I have a PHD in Physics."

"I see, and where do you work?"

"I am an Experimental Physicist at Caltech."

"Caltech?"

"California Institute of Technology."

"How long have you worked there?"

"About ten years, but I spent the last five years working on a project away from the university."

"May I ask what your normal salary is?"

"About $80,000 a year, but I am up for a tenured position."

Just then, Sheldon spoke up, "For heavens sake, Leonard, tell him you won a Nobel Prize."

The judge used his gavel as there was some muttering. "Who said that?"

Sheldon spoke up. "I did. Doctor Sheldon Cooper, theoretical physicist."

"If you interrupt again, I will have you removed, is that understood?"

Sheldon started to make a retort when Amy pulled him down, saying, "He understands."

The judge turned back to Leonard, "Is what he said true, did you win a Nobel Prize?"

"Yes, your Honor. Actually, I shared it with him."

"I understand there is a prize fund associated with that, how much did you win?"

"We each got about $500,000."

"I see. Now, Leonard, you heard Penny's testimony, do you have anything to add or subtract?

"Just that I think I loved her from the moment I saw her. I really never stopped loving her. Priya, the woman Penny said I was involved with, broke up with me soon after she left. We came to realize we didn't love each other and I have never loved anyone else."

He went on, "As for Sara, I felt something for her from the moment I met her. Maybe it's because she is Penny's daughter. She told me that she loved me. That and when Penny finally told me she did love me were the happiest moments of my life."

"Did you want to be married before the trial?"

"As I told Penny, I would want to marry her anytime, but I was worried we couldn't do it. I also mentioned that our lawyer might object but we decided since we didn't know if our marrying would help or hurt we would do what we felt was best for us and Sara."

"I am curious, how did you manage to get married without someone discovering it?"

As Leonard told him the full story of how they had all gotten together to make it possible, the judge could not hide his amazement, a feeling shared by part of the audience. As for Hampton, he cursed at the ineptitude of the firm he had hired and the money they had expended.

The judge shook his head, "I have to admit, that is quite a story. I applaud your ingenuity. I want to clear something else up. Since you are up for a tenured position, don't you need to return to Pasadena?"

"Normally that would be true, but frankly, as a Nobel Prize winner, I could find a similar position anywhere. I am sure I will have no trouble getting permission to work from Omaha for some time."

The judge then once again asked Hampton if he had any questions. He again answered yes and approached the stand.

"Doctor Hofstadter, don't you find it strange that after your wife struggled for so long to tell you she supposedly loved you, that she suddenly discovered she did just before this trial?"

"No, because I know that she loves me. She could never fool me about that."

"It is good you believe that, but isn't it possible that you wanted it so bad, that you would need to believe it was true if she said it?"

"There is no other way I can say it, and you can say whatever you want, but we got married because we love each other and because we love Sara. We have only been a married for a short time, but we know it is right, that we are a family."

In his seat, Brandon squirmed a little upon hearing those words, as he recalled what he had seen and thought that morning.

Hampton continued, "You know, Leonard, I really don't understand that you don't appear to be bothered that a woman who couldn't commit herself to you after knowing her for two years and intimate for almost half of that, was apparently willing to marry another man after only knowing him for three months. Have you considered, that like with Brandon, she has made herself believe she loves you, just to try to keep her daughter?"

Although she kept her face passive, Penny flinched inside. When Leonard had come out to the farm and she told him the whole story, that was what she had feared telling him the most. After all, what Hampton said was true. She had done what Leonard had always feared would happen. Find someone who could give her the life she apparently wanted. She had been pleasantly surprised when Leonard seemed to accept it. Now, as he hesitated to answer, she wondered if he had just hidden his feelings from her.

Leonard sat on the stand, caught off guard by the question. He thought back to that night in his hotel room when he had come to grips with what had happened and found a way to accept it. But, was that just what he wanted to believe, how would that sound here?

Then suddenly he relaxed, because he knew it didn't matter. What mattered was that everything he had believed and wanted to believe had come true. He had no doubts that Penny loved him and he now knew that Penny knew he loved her as well. It had been a long struggle and both had needed to grow, but they were now where they were meant to be.

"No, Mr. Hampton, that never occurred to me at all because there is no doubt in my mind that I love Penny and that she loves me. However this trial comes out, we will still feel the same about each other. And it will also not change anything about our love for Sara and her love for us. For the last few days, we have been a loving family, and nothing will ever change that."

Hampton was put back a little by the answer, but he recovered and said, "That is very touching, but it just means you refuse to consider that you could be wrong."

He turned to the judge, "I have no more questions."

Penny just stared at Leonard and wondered how she have been so clueless for so long. She shuddered to think they could have easily never got back together.

The judge turned to Henry, "Do you have any questions for this witness?"

Henry was no fool, he knew he didn't want to dilute the affect of Leonard's statement. "I have no questions, your honor."

As everyone watched, the judge sat back and seemed to be trying to decide something. Finally, he sat back up and called the Bailiff over. The Bailiff nodded and left the room.

The judge spoke up, "Although it is customary for the child to be the last witness, I believe we should hear about how she feels about all this. Also, to try to determine if the wedding was used to try to affect her testimony. I will not be limiting my questioning to the current situation because I do not want her to have to testify twice. I see no problem in having her testimony now, but will entertain any objections."

Hampton really had no problem of when Sara testified. It might be better to have it out of the way. If there was a jury, he might feel differently, but he had no choice but to trust the judge to evaluate the evidence, no matter what order it was presented.

Henry wanted to object. He had planned for Sara's testimony to be the highlight of the trial. Although it would still carry weight, he felt it lacked the impact it would at the end. But if he said that, he would be saying that the judge could be affected by when the testimony took place.

In the end, neither lawyer objected.

Ever since she had known that Sara would testify, Penny had deep conflicting feelings about it. On the one hand, she knew that it could be of great help to their case. She knew Henry hoped it would be a powerful moment for them. But, she did not like putting Sara through this. Who knew exactly how she would react. After all, Brandon was her father, and Sara had asked about him for so many years. Although the meeting with him had not shown she wanted to be with him, Sara did hear he wanted her.

Just then, Bridget and Jeremy came in the courtroom. They came to the row behind her and went and sat next to Cherie, Bridget reaching out to touch her as she went by.

Then the Bailiff and Sara entered. Sara was wearing the blue dress she had worn to the wedding, but there would be no skipping this time. At first Penny thought she looked scared, but then realized it was her look of determination, the one she got when faced with a situation she needed to overcome.

Penny saw her look around as she came down, her eyes stopping for a moment when she saw Brandon and Eileen. As she passed her grandparents and Leonard, she gave them a quick little smile.

This was the moment Brandon had dreaded for some time. His feeling toward the case had gone through a dramatic series of changes since his wife had first told him she wanted to fight for Sara. At the time, he had no great interest in doing so, but was deeply in love with her, and agreed to go along. Then, everything had escalated with his grandmother and law firm getting involved. He managed to convince himself that Sara would be better off with him and his wife, but he still had no great emotional investment in it. Then, they had gone to see Sara. Seeing her in the flesh had released feelings he didn't know he had, and he knew he wanted her to be with him. But the pictures of her and Leonard and Penny and her comments made him realize how little he meant to her.

Since then, he had made himself believe that there was no doubt that Sara would be better of with them. He needed to believe it. When the terrible things happened with that other stripper, he used it to bolster his belief that Sara needed to be taken away from that environment.

But, deep down, he was also feeling pangs of guilt of how he had treated Sara and Penny. He often struggled with doubts that he was doing the right thing.

Then when he has saw the three of them that morning, he wondered how they all really felt about each other. The testimony by Penny and Leonard had further confused him. And although the questioning by Hampton of Leonard had tried to cast doubts on what Penny's motives were, he had also exposed how much Penny cared for Sara."

The Bailiff had Sara wait while he put a child's chair on the witness chair and watched as Sara worked her way into it. From past trials he knew there would be no swearing in.

Seeing Sara was settled, the Judge began, "Sara, my name is Judge Nelson and I want to ask you a few questions, will that be all right."

Sara turned toward him and in a small voice, said, "I guess."

The judge motioned to the Bailiff, who adjusted the microphone on the witness chair.

The judge then went on. "Can you tell me your full name?"

"Sara Lee Prentis."

"How old are you?"

"Four."

"Sara, do you know what a lie is?"

"That's when you don't tell the truth."

"That's right Sara. Now I need you to tell me the truth today. Can you do that?"

Sara looked a little indignant. "I don't lie."

"Good, I am sure you don't." He went on. "Sara, do you know why you are up here today."

"We are going to find out where I am going to live."

"That's true, but what I want to do now, is just see how you feel about some things. Who told you about what is happening today?"

"Mommy."

"What did she tell you?"

"That my real Daddy decided he wanted me to live with him. She told me his real name and showed me a picture of him Then she said I would meet him."

"Had you and your mother talked about him before?"

"A little. She said that he loved me, but that she and he couldn't live together. I stopped asking because it seemed to bother her."

"Did you think about him much?"

"Sometimes, when I saw other kids with their fathers. But then I decided It was okay, that I was just like Jeremy."

"Who is Jeremy?'

'He's my cousin. His daddy ran off and left him and his mommy too."

To Brandon, those words cut deeply. His guilt about his actions confronted him again.

"Did you want to meet your dad?"

"Yes, very much. Mommy had said he wanted me. I even drew pictures of everyone, and also the farm. I was sure when I saw him, we would be like father and daughter."

"Is that what happened?"

Sara looked down sadly. "No, he was just like a stranger. I didn't feel anything like I thought I would, I didn't even hug him."

"Did you show him your pictures? What did you talk about?"

Sara looked up and perked up. "Yes, and he liked them so much, he kept them."

Brandon thought of the many times he had looked at those pictures and pondered what they meant. What Leonard was to Sara. It was especially more meaningful now after Penny's and Leonard's testimony.

Sara had gone on, "We talked about where they live and about the horses they would have. They also said I could have my own room. Eileen said she loved horses and would want to ride with me."

"Did that sound good to you?"

"Yes, but then I realized that I would be alone without Mommy and everybody. I would also miss Daisy, that's my pony."

"Sara, what do you think about Leonard?"

Sara smiled and looked out toward him. "I love him. At first, I didn't like him because he was afraid of horses, but he let me help him learn to ride. I don't know, I just feel good when he is around. And he makes my Mommy happy."

"Sara, what did think of your mother marrying Leonard?"

For the first time Sara got animated. "It was so neat. I was the flower girl and Jeremy did the ring thing. I even got to meet my new grandma."

Then she smirked and said, "I was the one who got them married."

The judge sat back a little, then he leaned forward and asked, "How did you do that?"

'I told Leonard I wanted him to marry my mommy so he could be my daddy and we could be happy."

The entire audience was now listening intently and there were several who were tearing up, including Penny and Leonard. Eileen sensed Brandon tensing up and she was sure she knew what he was going through his mind because she was feeling it herself. But she told herself that Sara was only four years old and really didn't know what was best for her.

The judge had paused for awhile to gather his thoughts and then he continued.

"Sara, you told me that you know your real father wants you now. Isn't it true that you really don't know him very well? In fact, you have only spent time with him once. Isn't it possible you could come to love him as well? Don't you think you could someday be just as happy living with him and his wife?"

Sara thought and looking down, said quietly, "I guess."

Then she looked up and said, "May I ask you something?"

The judge smiled and said, "Of course Sara, what is it?"

Sara concentrated real hard and said, "If I am really happy where I am and love who I am with, why do I have to see if I would be happy somewhere else?"

Suddenly, Eileen felt Brandon grab her hand and look down at her. She saw that his eyes were wet. She sensed he was looking for an answer from her. Suddenly, she knew what he was thinking and at first rebelled, but then she realized she had been hiding similar feelings. Finding a smile, she looked up at him and nodded.

Brandon squeezed her hand and she felt him starting to rise. When he got to his feet, he called out, "Your Honor, I would like to address the court."

Surprised, everyone's eyes turned toward him.

Before the judge could respond, Hampton was also on his feet yelling out, "Your Honor, I need to talk to my client, he is acting against the advice of his counsel."

The judge spoke up. "Your lawyer is right. You should discuss any actions with him."

Brandon spoke firmly, "That will not be necessary. I know exactly what I am doing."

"Very well, proceed."

With an anguished look on his face, Hampton sat back down and put his head in his hands.

Penny, not sure what was going on, turned to Henry, but he just motioned for her to sit quietly.

Brandon glanced over at Penny and Leonard, and then turned back to the judge. "Your Honor, because of what has transpired at this trial, I and my wife," he looked down at her and she smiled encouragingly, "We wish to withdraw our suit for custody."

There was a gasp from the audience, and Penny turned toward Leonard. The judge used his gavel to gain quiet and then said to Brandon. "You understand that your withdrawal will have the same affect as if this court ruled in Mrs. Hofstadter's favor? That you will have no further legal resource?"

"I understand."

The judge then said, "Very well." Turning toward the audience, many of who were holding their breath, he intoned, "I hereby declare that Sara Ann Prentis will remain with her mother. This Court is adjourned." He struck his gavel.

That released everyone from the stunned state they had been in and pandemonium reigned. Penny, tearing up, grabbed Henry and said, "Thank you, thank you." Henry hugged her back but then smiled and said, "It wasn't me Penny, it was you guys."

Then Penny headed into the seating and engaged in a huge family hug. Then she embraced Cherie. The hugging extended to the whole group. Howard hugged Bernadette, while Raj embraced Isaac and Amy. Suddenly Mama gave Sheldon a big hug and everyone who saw them had to laugh as Sheldon practically disappeared. Mary Crowly reached down and gently hugged Mike, while Marcy suffered the same fate as Sheldon when she was surrounded by Howard's large arms.

While Doug shook Mr. Hays's hand, Michael Hofstadter stood there with a smile on his face, watching Leonard and Penny.

Sara sat on the witness stand, her eyes wide, as she stared at the tableau before her. Then the judge smiled and said, "Sara, go join your mother, it's over."

Sara got a huge grin on her face and jumped down and ran into her mother's arms as Penny and Leonard were heading toward her. Then she was engulfed by the entire family. Then it became a series of hug after hug as everyone wanted to touch and be with her, to let her know how happy they were for her. As they came up to Michael, Leonard said, "Sara, this is your uncle Michael."

Michael smiled and said, "Hi Sara."

Sara smiled back but for some reason felt a little shy in his presence. Seeming to sense that, Michael reached out his arms and picked her up and gave her a hug. With Leonard and Penny looking on happily, Michael said, "You will have to come and visit me and meet your aunt and your cousins."

When they met up with the Coopers, Sara accepted a quick hug but obviously was more interested in talking to Isaac. As they stood looking at each other, Isaac said, "I am glad you are going to stay with uncle Leonard. We will be able to play more video games."

Sara answered, "Yeah, me too."

Then Mama swept in and took Sara in her arms. "It's my turn with this sweetie." Turning to Penny and Leonard, she said, "I am so happy for you both. I have been praying for you."

Leonard and Penny thanked her and then managed to get Sara back from her.

Meanwhile, Warren Hampton walked over to the defendant's table, and holding out his hand said, "I guess congratulations are in order."

Henry shook his hand, but said, as he looked around, "Thanks, but I don't think anybody really lost today, let's call it a win-win."

Then he went on, "I know a bar not too far from here that actually tolerates lawyers. Would you like to join me for a drink?"

Warren hesitated, but then said, "I would like that." He then turned to his associate. "Betty," then hesitated for a second before he said, "Henry and I are going to go have a drink, do you want to join us?"

As Betty said she would be glad to, Henry addressed the same question to Sally, who also agreed. Then they helped Warren carry his stuff out to the car, passing through the celebrants on their way out of the court.

The Bailiff, looking a little disturbed at what was going on, asked the judge if he was going to stop it. The judge picked up his gavel and raised it, but then smiled and sat back in his chair, saying, "Nah, let them go." Then he sat back and watched contentedly.

As Sara finished her tour and things started to settle down, Brandon and Eileen approached Penny and Leonard. Penny frowned a little as they came up to them. Brandon spoke first, "Penny, you have to believe that I only did this because I thought it was best for Sara."

Penny looked as though she were going to say something, but then thought back to what had just happened and her face softened. She said quietly, "I think I do…now."

Looking at his wife, Brandon said, "If it's ok with you, we would like to set up a college fund for Sara. It would mean a lot to us."

Penny looked surprised for a moment, and then turning to look at Leonard, said, "That would be great, thank you."

Brandon smiled and then looking nervous said, "Do you think it would be possible for us to maybe visit Sara or have her visit us sometime?"

Penny looked again at Leonard who smiled back at her. She turned to Brandon, "When we decide exactly what we are going to do and things settle down, I'm sure we can work something out."

Brandon smiled and said heartfully, "Thank you."

Just then Sara came up to them. Taking a little breath, she said, "Father, hope I didn't make you too sad because I want to live with Mommy and Leonard."

Brandon had to smile sadly to himself, as he assumed she called Leonard daddy and recognized how she had decided to differentiate between Leonard and himself. He then smiled at her and said, "No, Sara, it is better this way. But your Mommy did say we can see you once in a while."

Sara looked surprised, but then smiled, "I'd like that."

Then as Brandon and Eileen moved to go, she said, "Could I have a hug now?"

With everyone tearing up, Brandon reached down and picked her up as Sara wrapped her arms around his neck.

After a few moments, Brandon put her back down, and saying their goodbyes, they left.

Just then, Doug called out, "Listen up, everyone. Anticipating this great news, I have arranged for a celebratory party across the street at the Dalton Hotel. Whoever wants to join in, follow me."

Everyone looked at Penny and Leonard who showed their intent to attend.

Soon, everyone was moving out the door. Penny, Leonard, and Sara lingered back, taking one more look at the quickly emptying court room.

Then Sara spoke up, "Mommy?"

Penny looked down, "Yes, Honey."

"The judge said it was over. Does that mean we will be a family forever?"

Penny and Leonard smiled their happiest smiles. "Yes, Honey, forever."

Then Leonard picked up Sara who put her arms around his neck and nestled her head into his shoulder. Leonard took Penny's hand, and they followed their friends and relatives out the door.

 **A/N Well, that's it except for an Epilogue. I hope the ending wasn't too disappointing. I want to thank everyone who followed my story. I really do appreciate it. For my reviewers, what more can I say? You have been a source of joy and a provider of amazing input. Thank you.**


	31. Chapter 31 Epilogue

**A/N I am now returning the characters I borrowed to their rightful owners.**

As it turned out, Leonard was right. Caltech and Dr. Gablehauser agreed to let Leonard stay and work from Omaha. Leonard left his hotel and lived on the farm for the next eighteen months, until Sara was ready to start school. During that time, they bought a house in Pasadena in an area where they could keep horses. When they moved, they took Daisy, leaving Dallas at the farm.

The financial problems with the loan on the farm and providing for Penny's family was resolved by the entire gang forming a corporation, 'Nebraska Education and Rural Development' better known as NERD.

It's first act was on the education side when it extended a very low interest loan to Bridget to be paid back over a long period of time. The money was used for her to attend Cosmetology school. When she graduated and got a job, she and Jeremy moved into an apartment of their own. She later fell in love with a handsome delivery man and they were married.

NERD then purchased back the original land that had been on the farm. They got it back at cost from the neighbors who had bought it because the neighbors wanted Wyatt to return to farming.

They then hired Wyatt to run the farm as well as share in the profits. Putting up the land as collateral, they were able to get much more favorable terms on the original loan and made payments from their share of the profits. Sheldon quickly learned how to leverage the futures market so that although it prevented then from making a huge profit, it also prevented them from suffering a big loss.

When Jeremy grew up, he married their neighbor's daughter and they moved in with Wyatt and Susan to help with the farm. When Wyatt and Susan finally decided they were ready to quit and moved to California to be with Leonard and Penny and their family, Jeremy took over the farm.

Randall Prentis was finally released from prison, but after hanging around the farm for a few weeks, he ran off and was never heard from again.

Georgina found herself getting bored and approached Doug with the idea of partnering with her to open a Gentlemen's type club where she was now living.

To her disappointment, Doug said he was not interested in having any part of being an owner of a club again. But then he told her he would cosign a loan so she could get started, putting up one of his businesses as collateral. When she told him she couldn't allow him to do that, he said he was taking no risk because he knew she would be a success. And she was.

After being urged for many years by his personal and business friends to do so, Doug Cummings stuck his toe in the Political Arena. After serving on the town council, he won an election for Mayor. After three highly impressive terms, he ran for and was elected Governor of the state of Nebraska. As both Mayor and Governor, he hired Mary Crowly to be on his staff, installed Mike Hayward as chief of security, and made Howard his personal bodyguard. After serving two terms, he resisted efforts to have him seek higher office and retired. He then used his money to build hospital wings, a convention center and assorted other projects to help Omaha. When those he helped insisted his name be on the buildings, parks, etc., many people groused they should just change the name of the city to Cummingsville.

Warren Hampton continued to be a highly successful lawyer but he was always obsessed with the custody case he lost. He told everyone he would have won if his clients had not stabbed him in the back.

Old Mr. Hays decided to retire when he reached the age of eighty. He moved to Florida and formed a friendship with another transplanted Omaha man named Ralph Bradshaw.

After a few years, Henry Thompkins decided he would like to try his luck at being a judge. After winning an election to a state judgeship, his career skyrocketed. To a Federal judge, to a judge on a Federal appeals court, and eventually to the United States Supreme Court, where he was the deciding vote in giving Michael Hofstadter his first loss appearing before the court.

As for Michael and the rest of the Hofstadters, things returned to normal after the trial. Although Sara did get to meet Michael and Hayley's families, they never had much interaction. Sara finally got to meet her Grandfather and his new wife before they escaped back to Africa.

Cherie decided to take another shot at New York and became a member of the Rockettes. Those legs finally paid off. She eventually married a plastic surgeon and gave Penny a hard time that she had married a 'real' doctor.

Although before seeking custody for Sara, Brandon and Eileen weren't sure they wanted children, Eileen gave birth to a baby girl they named Melody, just a couple months before Leonard and Penny returned. Penny kept her word and Sara was able to spend time with them. They also had horses and when Melody was older, Eileen taught both her and Sara how to jump. Both were good, but Melody actually went to the Olympics and won a Bronze medal. Sara and her stepsister stayed close throughout their lives.

Raj finally convinced Jasmine to give his friends a chance and he was able to spend quite a bit of time with them in America.

Howard and Bernadette also had a girl they named Halley. Sheldon was disgusted when she grew up to be an engineer like her father. But he gave up on her completely when she compounded her folly by marrying an engineer as well.

Sheldon was also shocked when Sara entered the liberal arts program in college, at the University of Nebraska no less. He mourned losing her when she graduated with a history major!

All was forgiven though when it turned out that the attraction between Isaac and Sara as children had stayed with them and they fell in love. They had the wedding on the farm and the guests included many that had been at the trial. Some swore they saw tears in Sheldon's eyes when the pastor declared them Doctor and Mrs. Isaac Cooper. (Howard cynically stated it was because he was reminded that Isaac had got his doctorate six months earlier than his father had.)

As for Leonard and Penny, their son David Sheldon Hofstadter was born on Sara's seventh birthday. Sheldon tried to tell everyone it was no big deal about the middle name, that Leonard had stolen the idea from him, but no one believed him.

David Hofstadter apparently received the best from every part of the family. He grew to be over six feet, handsome, and extremely intelligent. But to everyone's shock he was also a great athlete. He excelled in several sports in both high school and college. Using a basketball scholarship, he followed in his sister's footsteps and attended the University of Nebraska.

To his utter astonishment, Leonard found himself becoming a sports father, going to all of his son's games and learning to at least have some appreciation and understanding of them.

After college, David chose baseball as his career choice and eventually made it to the major leagues, pitching two years for the Chicago Cubs until he hurt his arm. He then retired and became a sportscaster. He married his high school sweetheart, one of the cheerleaders, leading Leonard to ruefully say, "At least we have something in common."

Leonard and Penny lived a long full life, surrounded by friends and family. Their children would pretend to be grossed out but were actually thrilled and pleased when in their seventies, Leonard and Penny still couldn't keep their hands off each other. Although they wanted to be disapproving, everyone had to laugh when Howard taught the grandchildren to say, "Get a room."

The landing craft descended from the mother ship, which had completed its arduous ten-month journey. It glided to a stop on the surface and twenty-two minutes after it landed, the door opened and Mary Penelope Cooper, daughter of Noble prize winner Doctor Isaac Leonard Cooper and his wife Sara Ann Cooper, became the first human to set foot on Mars.

 **A/N I am not sure exactly how this epilogue worked out, but I did enjoy writing it. Thanks again to all of you. I have been overwhelmed by your responses to this story. I have a few more ideas for possible stories but will have to see how it all shakes out.**


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